The Wedding Rings
by Masha19
Summary: He was the sweetest drug and she refused to give it up even at the expense of losing herself. Draco/Hermione, Post Hogwarts.
1. The Addiction

**A/N: This is my first fanfic and I'm really nervous about it! Be honest, and I mean brutally honest, with your reviews. I'm not sure whether it'll have a sequel, but I'll try my very best. Enjoy!**

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. The ring felt heavy around her finger and she automatically balled her left hand into a fist, exhaling slowly. She knew that this was wrong. She knew that she was risking everything because of this, but she couldn't stop it. A lump in her throat was getting bigger and for a moment she thought about turning around and ending it, but it was impossible. He made it impossible.

"Granger," he smirked.

"It's _Weasley_," she muttered and shot him a look of annoyance. She had always hoped that him calling her like that would make her snap out of it. It never did.

He raised one golden eyebrow and cocked his head to the side a bit, "No, Granger's fine."

You see, Hermione Granger had always been responsible, even when she was a child. She knew how to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, fair from unfair. As a hardworking student she had always been at the top of her class, always number one, always the example child. She pushed herself through Hogwarts, hungrily taking in all the knowledge so she could be an even better person – perfect, you could say. So, how did this happen? How did someone like him manage to ruin her accomplishments like that, make her doubt herself over the simplest things, make her feel as if she had somehow betrayed her old self?

He was like a drug. And she meant it literally. She would often see, back in her Head Girl days, what Pixie Dust did to students. The stress of the exams would catch up and they would buy huge amounts of it, hoping it would help, begging her not to confiscate it. Of course, she always did. But she never knew _why. _Why would anyone let their body be consumed by something so much, that they crave it? Need it.

She almost smiled. The answer was right in front of her. Staring at her with those piercing gray eyes, hands clasped behind his back, a smirk on his lips. He was everywhere. In her mind, body and soul. It was as if she was addicted and couldn't get enough. His scent was on her clothes – masculine, strong, demanding. It didn't want to leave her alone. At that point, she wasn't even sure she wanted it to leave. It unnerved her.

"I'm just… " she paused when he took a step forward, his lower lip tucked under his perfect white upper teeth. He looked hungry.

"Spare me, I know why you're here again."

Her eyes narrowed and she raised her chin, "I'd advise you to behave, Malfoy. I'm not in the mood for games an-" she swallowed the rest of the line when he took another step forward, her breathing disrupted now. It was unnerving, what he did to her. She had thought about putting a stop to it many a time, but it never happened.

One more step and he was right in front of her, too close for her to think properly. He was taller than her, her head barely reaching his shoulders. She looked up at him and brought her hands up, putting them on his chest. They felt solid and firm, and it made her shiver in anticipation.

"Granger," he started, his hands on either side of her head. He bent down a bit, his lips next to her ear.

"I'm sure you're having a guilt attack right now, but I couldn't give a fuck."

She made a noise in the back of her throat and opened her mouth to snap at him, but his long index finger suddenly pressed itself against her lips.

"Shhh, let's not go through this again," he whispered a bit forcefully, his lower body slamming into hers suddenly. She let out a yelp and wiggled a bit, her back pressed too hard against the door.

"You and I know perfectly well that this won't stop, Granger." His lips slid from her ear to her neck and he let them hover there on purpose, his breath making her skin break out in goosebumps. "Whether you're with Weasley or not, you cannot let go of this. I make you crave me, I give you what you've never had before and you need me."

She closed her eyes, a blush spreading across her cheeks and neck. Breathing was suddenly very difficult and all she could concentrate on was his voice, his breath against her sensitive neck and the fact that he was pressing into her deliciously. One nod of her head and she confirmed what he had said.

He growled lowly at her agreement and his hands were in her hair suddenly, his feet pushing her legs apart. She gasped at the notion and arched her back slightly, pressing herself more into him. More, more, more, she always needed more. Her nails dug into his expensive robes and she pulled him towards her, her wedding ring flashing once from the dim light it the room.

The muggle motel they had been seeing each other in for the past few months had become like a second home for her. She was so familiar with their room, the surroundings and she felt peaceful there. But only when _he_ was with her.

She didn't have time to feel guilty about all of this because his lips landed on hers rather violently. He always kissed her like that – like he was claiming her over and over again, trying to show her how only he could make her react like that and need him desperately from just one kiss. Her eyes closed automatically and she opened her mouth, giving him access. His tongue found her right away and she let out a whimper when they met, her body temperature rising.

She would always get lost when he kissed her, always forget about herself and what she was actually doing. It was too much, too intense and thinking was out of the question with him on her mind and so close to her physically. She whimpered when his teeth nibbled on her lower lip and her hands slid up from his chest to his neck, grabbing the back of his hair. She pressed herself closer, relishing in the fact that she could make him go crazy as well. She could feel his faint arousal against her stomach and when her nails scrapped the back of his neck slightly he growled again and grabbed her arse, lifting her up.

They didn't break the kiss while he was carrying her towards the bed, too desperate and needy to even breathe. This drug was better than breathing itself. It made her body ache for him, and she wanted it right then and there.

He dropped her on the bed and unbuttoned his robe, letting it pool around his feet. Her eyes slid up and down his body hungrily and her little tongue darted out, wetting her dry lips slowly. His gray eyes, which were now dark with lust and need, snapped to her lips and he groaned.

"You'll be the death of me, Granger. Take it all off," he commanded and kicked off his boots while unzipping his trousers at the same time.

She nodded and quickly pulled her blouse over her head, her curls falling back down and framing her face. She unzipped her skirt and slid it past her hips and thighs, throwing it on the floor. When she was finished with her underwear, she looked up, only to find him completely naked. He was staring at her, his right hand hanging freely at his side, the left one wrapped around his already hard cock. The golden ring of his right hand flashed dangerously at her and she almost scowled.

"Come over here, Granger," he said, his voice raspy.

She looked up at him and scooted towards the end of the bed, her whole body feeling as if it was on the edge. He moved closer to her, his cock right in front of her moist lips. She wiggled on the bed, feeling herself getting wet. She loved doing this for him. Her eyes would slide up his body, over that golden patch of hair she loved to play with, his abs, chest and to his face. He looked almost too perfect with his head thrown back, eyes tightly closed and cheeks flushed slightly.

She wrapped her lips around the head of his cock and he let out a hiss, his hand automatically going into her wild hair. She made a sound of approval and raised her hand to wrap it around the base of his cock, her tongue now swirling over the tip. He was breathing raggedly now, his hips jerking forward slightly as her lips slid down his length.

"Don't fucking tease," he growled, and his hand tightened in her hair.

She moaned and her eyes fluttered shut at the notion, her lips and tongue sucking him off just like he liked it. She knew how to press all of his buttons, knew what he loved the most, what he enjoyed the most and what made him come hard. And she had never failed to do that. After all, she was always a hard worker.

Her hand slid down between her thighs and she blushed at how wet she was, knowing he'd approve. He suddenly yanked her head back and looked into her eyes, his own wild with lust.

"Get on the bed."

The tone of his voice, the growl she could hear in it made her pussy clench and she did what he had told her, spreading her legs eagerly. He pumped his fist over his cock twice and got on top of her, settling between her thighs. He grabbed her legs and pulled her closer to him, making her tiny body slide down the bed. They never kissed while they were having sex. It was always like that and she had never questioned it. She made a mental note to ask him but it was all soon gone when the tip of his cock brushed against her pussy. She wiggled and let out a tiny whimper which made him grin at her. He looked like the devil himself.

He stared at her for a while, brushing his cock up and down her slit slowly. He was torturing her and she hated when he did that. He loved hearing her beg and ask for it, loved when she talked dirty to him but even after all of their encounters, she would still blush at that part.

"You know what I want to hear, Granger," he growled, apparently close to just slamming into her. He was as desperate as she was and she loved it.

"P-Please… Draco.. " she closed her eyes and took a deep breath only to snap them open when he slapped her thigh. Her pussy clenched at the action and she let out a grunt of frustration.

"Please what? " he asked breathlessly.

"Fuck me… please, fuck me."

Merlin, she sounded like a slut. She needed him badly, all of him. And he was making it all complicated, for Godric's sake.

"Fuck, I love it when you beg, Granger," he growled and grabbed his cock, pushing into her slowly. He hissed and let his head fall back and she arched her back in return, his cock stretching her deliciously. He felt so good inside of her, too good. At times it felt as if it was too much, but she didn't care.

"Fuu-uck, I love this, I love your tight little cunt," he grunted and she moaned at that, her breathing slowly picking up. He was inside of her finally and she knew he'd break her apart. He never started off slowly. He never let her adjust to him and get used to his size. He didn't care, simply put and it made her even more responsive to him. He started fucking her as hard as he could, but not as fast yet, his whole cock moving in and out of her as if it was their last time together.

She was trashing, moaning, begging, too gone to care about what she was saying and demanding. And that's how he loved her. She looked up at him and he grabbed her hair, securing her head in place. His jaw was clenched, a bit of fringe falling in his eyes and he looked so sexy she wondered how it was possible. His breathing was ragged and he'd grunt and groan with each slam of his hips against hers, making her cry out in pleasure. He knew how to fuck her, what spots to hit and it never failed to make her fall apart for him.

"Tell me you're mine, Granger, say it!" he growled, never slowing down.

She managed to look him in the eyes and whimper something at first, her voice not cooperating at all.

"I- I'm- oooooh, Merlin, I'm yours. I'm yours, "she moaned, her hands clutching the sheets. She could feel her body shaking, shivers going up and down her spine and she knew she'd get what she wanted. He always knew what she wanted.

"That's right, you little mudblood slut," he grunted, his hands playing with her breasts now. He was squeezing and twisting her nipples, pulling on them with every thrust, making her get closer and closer.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the word he mentioned, her pussy squeezing his cock as it kept stimulating her. She had frozen the first time he called her like that in the throes of passion, but it was simply because she was shocked that it didn't bother her. She knew he didn't mean it, knew that he had said it merely to feel above her and in control and she wanted that. She craved it like everything she craved about him.

"Does my little mudblood want to come? Do you, G-Granger? Fuck."

"Yes, ple-ease, yes!"

He grunted and sped up, making her whine low in her throat. They were at it for a while. She wasn't sure how long it all lasted, but she didn't want to end it. And then she let herself go. He was close too, she could feel it. His brow line was sweaty, hair pushed back and cheeks and neck flushed. She started shuddering, her moans growing louder and louder; there was a ringing of sorts in her ears and she couldn't breathe or think or function and then she exploded. She screamed out his name, her back arching off the bed completely and all she could feel was him coming inside of her, filling her up, groaning her last name, always her last name, but she didn't mind that either. She felt him fall down next to her and roll onto his back, his spent cock slipping out of her pussy. For quite some time, neither of them said a thing.

"Granger."

"Yes?"

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, praying to Merlin he wasn't going to say what she thought he was.

_We need to stop this._

"I promise I'll make you faint next time."

She snorted.

"I'm quite serious, it's my personal goal."

Was it possible that someone could be so bloody arrogant and attractive while being arrogant at the same time? She thought so.

"If you say so, Malfoy."

He hummed and she nibbled on her lower lip, twisting the ring around her finger absently. The room smelled of sex and him and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. She could feel his lazy gaze on her and it made her fidget.

"Same time on Saturday?" his voice was confident as if he knew she couldn't say no. He knew her too bloody well.

She opened her eyes and finally looked at him, her eyelids feeling heavy. She wanted to say no so desperately – to put a stop to it and continue with her life, away from this hiding and stolen kisses and his scent. But he was the sweetest drug and she refused to give it up even at the expense of losing herself. That was the risk she was willing to take.

"Same time on Saturday."


	2. The Kiss

**A/N: The inspiration for this chapter came suddenly, so thank you to the inspiration fairy. It's sort of a one-shot as well, and I hope you'll like it as much as you liked the first one. Thank you for all the lovely feedback, reviews and criticism!**

Hermione Granger rarely lost control over her life. She couldn't remember the last time she felt overpowered and defeated, and even in the middle of the war, with her body writhing on the floor of the Malfoy manor, she felt as if there had to be a way out. You'd think someone who was so close to dying while being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange would lose all her hope and simply give in. But not Hermione.

Now, bearing that in mind, she couldn't figure out for the life of her how everything became so complicated. She could barely keep her head cool and composed and her whole life seemed like such a bloody mess that she felt the urge to scream and scream until it all magically fixed itself. She wasn't sure when it happened exactly, but she was thinking more and more about _him_. And it drove her crazy. She'd randomly crave his touch, the tips of his fingertips sliding up and down her back. She'd want to feel his scent around her, desperate to have him close, to hear him whisper dirty nothing in her ear until she begged for more. The thought of it would leave her breathless and aching for him. And it would only complicate things even more.

_Draco_…

"What'd you say?"

Her eyes snapped up from her plate and met the curious gaze of her husband. The moment his eyes narrowed, panic gripped her. She licked her lips nervously, giving him a shaky smile.

"What? I don't think I've said anything."

"You mumbled something, Hermione."

Pause.

Her stomach clenched uncomfortably.

They were in one of the finest wizarding restaurants in England at the moment. He insisted on taking her out for a meal since all she did was work her arse off, as he had put it, and stay in her office all day and night. She was against it in the beginning, but then changed her mind when he sent her a pleading look. Maybe he, too, felt something was off.

She smoothed out the wrinkles in her red dress which she knew was his favorite and tucked some loose curls behind her ear. The surroundings were lost on her since her mind was elsewhere, completely set on one person only. A certain blonde wizard, to be precise.

"Hey, cheer up! You seem so lost lately."

She looked at him again, noticing his goofy smile. It was simply impossible for her not to smile back and she let out a chuckle, shrugging her shoulders a bit.

"I'm sorry… just… busy with work. You know how it is."

He nodded understandingly and covered her small hand with his big one, making her fight off the urge to flinch.

She hated the fact that she always seemed to compare their touches. And Ron's was not good enough anymore. It was gentle and loving, yes, but Draco's… it was demanding, rough, it made her skin break out in fire and goosebumps and her body shiver with need and-

"Hermione? Bloody hell, what's wrong?" He sounded worried now, his voice rich with annoyance.

"Like I said, I'm tired and I need some sleep!" she snapped. He looked at her with wide eyes and nodded once, putting his fork down. After a few moments of complete silence she looked up and her eyes softened.

"Look, I appreciate this, Ron. I really do. I'm just not in the mood for a chat. Sorry."

He shrugged dismissively and raised his hand as a waiter walked by, his wand pointed at a set of plates filled with food which were levitating in front of him.

"Receipt, please," he said tightly, making Hermione's eyes narrow.

"Just a moment sir, I'll be right with you," the waiter replied politely and nodded at him, trying to maneuver the plates.

This seemed to happen a lot with them lately, she noticed. The lack of communication, the snappy retorts, the fights… it was beginning to happen more often and she knew she was the problem, but she also knew that she was unhappy. And she refused to continue and hide her feelings at the expense of not hurting anyone else's.

She got up and slammed the napkin on the table, adjusting her dress.

"I'll be waiting for you next to the Apparition point, I need to get some fresh air," she said and grabbed her purse, leaving without any word. She had no idea why she was suddenly angry at him. Maybe she was just generally sick of their relationship, maybe she was scared and tired of hiding and needed a way out… but she knew the right thing to do was to put a stop to _him_. And the thought of it made her feel sick.

As soon as she walked outside and the door of the restaurant closed, she let out the breath she was holding and shook her head. She needed to tell this to someone. Someone she trusted and knew wouldn't use it against her. Secrets were like a disease. They would eat you up slowly from inside until nothing was left, but a shell of your former self. And she refused to go down like that.

"Look what we have here."

She gasped and turned around towards the source of the hiss, but her action was cut short when a hand covered her mouth and dragged her into a small alley next to the restaurant. It was too dark and she started struggling, her hands frantically looking for her wand.

Her body then slammed into the wall roughly, her front pressed against the bricks and dirt and she felt someone step behind her, a warm and familiar scent suddenly attacking her senses. Her heart skipped a beat.

Silence.

And then…

"If you struggle, I'll only hurt you more, love," he whispered in her ear and his hand slid from her mouth to her hair, grabbing it roughly. "And we don't want that Granger, do we?"

She shuddered and shook her head, her breathing suddenly disrupted. Her body was on fire from the contact, her senses heightened from him so close, and she wanted nothing more than to turn around and ravish him, but Ron…

"M-Malfoy, let me go… Ron is waiti-"

"Shhhh," he whispered and roughly pulled the pin out of her hair, letting her curls spill around her shoulders. She felt his cock twitch against her arse and she wiggled a bit, the familiar wetness between her legs now making her even more aware of him.

"I don't give a fuck, Granger."

"What are you- why are here?" she gasped, licking her lips despite herself. She knew she didn't have much time, but his hand was slowly sliding down her front and her body simply melted into him, demanding more. If only for a bit.

"Business dinner. Nothing important. And then I saw you with that fucking oaf, and-" his lips slid from her ear to her neck and his bit into it hard, making her moan, "-I needed to have you. You look so fuckable in that dress, Granger. Love the Gryffindor pride you've got going on there," he replied with a chuckle and she rolled her eyes. Leave it to him to mention this.

"Malfoy.. stop. Ron will be out any minute, come on. We can meet in.. in.. ohh _Merlin_."

His skilful hands were on her breasts now, pinching and pulling on her nipples and she let out a long moan, her arse grinding into him. He growled and grabbed her hair once more, turning her head around roughly. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her and her heart sped up, but the moment was gone as soon as he jerked her head up, making her eyes land on his.

"I want you to look at me, Granger. Look at me while I'm fucking you like this, with your precious little husband right there, so close to you."

She let out a half-moan, half-whimper and shook her head, but her body was still reacting to him strongly. It was like the guilt wasn't there when he was. Like he could make her forget about her problems, troubles, decisions that needed to be made and it always threw her off. He was such an enigma. Fun to solve, but too difficult to understand.

She felt his rough hands slide her dress up and she automatically spread her legs, her palms now resting on the wall in front of her. He only chuckled in return, his belt and zipper being the only noise in the tight space except for their labored breathing. The knowledge of what they were about to do, as well as the fact that they could be caught, made her even wetter.

She gasped as his hand grabbed her panties and pulled on them, ripping them off her body in a second. The cool air hit her wet center and she shuddered, closing her eyes.

"Hurry... up. Malfoy, hurry up!"

"Always the bossy one, Granger," he smirked, his hands on her hips.

She opened her mouth to say something back but was cut off as he slammed his cock inside of her suddenly, letting out a deep growl. Hermione moaned loudly and bit her lip hard, scared that they could be heard.

He wasted no time whatsoever. As soon as he was sure she got adjusted to the sudden invasion, he started fucking her hard, hands grabbing everywhere, lips and teeth all over her neck, against her ear, whispering how naughty she was for doing this, how much of a bad girl she had become with him fucking her against a wall in an alley.

And it never failed to turn her on. She was giving him as much as she was receiving. Her body would slam into him again and again making his cock go in deeper, her hands all over his strong form - grabbing his arse, sliding over the hard muscles of his thighs, in his silky hair – everywhere.

He was grunting as he slammed into her repeatedly, his lips right next to her ear, hot breath sending shivers up and down her back.

"So good, Granger. Fuck, you feel so good… such a.. tight.. little.. cunt," he growled, every single word followed by a powerful thrust.

She was whimpering, moaning, gasping for breath, her hands how almost clawing at the wall in front of her. He made her forget about everything, he knew just which buttons to push and it still shocked her.

Suddenly, he started slowing down. She panicked that he'd stop and leave her like that, but she was also aware of the fact that he still hadn't got what he wanted. The moment that thought ended his hands grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, grasping her legs and lifting them up. The street lamp near the alley illuminated his face faintly and she realized she could finally see him now. His blonde hair was a mess, lower lip tucked underneath his upper teeth as he concentrated on taking her again. His jaw was clenched from the effort of holding her and fucking her in that position, and he had never looked sexier to her. He was wearing a tuxedo, the shirt and tie a complete mess and her nails dug deeper into his back, wanting him closer. As soon as her back touched the wall, her body welcomed him again.

He smirked against her lips, starting to fuck her hard without holding back, his eyes hungrily taking in her disheveled form – messy hair, plump lips, sparkling eyes. He shuddered and closed his eyes, his hips snapping back and forth faster... harder… he let out a deep growl and his hand slid between them, starting to rub her clit.

She threw her head back and her nails dug into his neck, her hips rotating against his. It all happened so suddenly. He was trying to hold back and bring her close first, always being a selfless lover and when the orgasm took over her, she didn't hold back. The moment her cunt closed around him, he let out a deep grunt and spilled into her, his body shaking against hers as if they were working in sync.

It felt as if years had passed before he removed his hands from underneath her thighs and let her stand on her own. Her arms were still around his neck and she looked up at him, licking her lips.

He was zipping his pants back, his gaze everywhere but on her. She took that as a sign and pulled herself away, adjusting her ruined dress. Her knickers were lying on the ground and she shook her head, cursing him for another ruined pair of those.

"I need to go, he'll come out any second," she whispered and looked at Draco. His eyes were a bit narrowed, posture rigid. He seemed to be thinking things over, and the more he just looked at her, the more nervous she felt.

"I'll… see you around," she mumbled and blushed under his gaze, stepping away from the wall. She picked up her purse and took her wand out, cleaning the dirty dress with one flick of her wand. As she was about to walk away, quickly pulling her hair into a bun again, his hand suddenly grabbed her upper arm and pulled her towards him roughly. His lips landed on hers and Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, her body freezing against his strong form. She didn't expect this at all. He seemed to notice her surprise and so he pressed on harder, making her melt into him. Her eyes closed and she let go of the doubt she had, kissing him back with every single ounce of need in her body. It felt like heaven and hell at the same time. It felt perfect. The kiss ended too soon and he stepped away and smirked, running a hand through his hair.

"I should go back, my clients are waiting. I'll see you soon, Granger."

She nodded as if in daze and heard the door of the restaurant open. It snapped her back to reality and with one last look into his direction she turned around and walked out in the clear, leaning quickly against the wall.

"Ron," she called after him, making him turn around. Her stomach flipped uncomfortably and she felt the regret kicking in as if on cue, waiting to pounce on her again and take over her thoughts.

"Hey. I thought you'd be waiting next to the Apparition point," he said and smiled slightly, offering her a hand. She swallowed loudly and let out a shuddering breath.

"Oh, I-" she reluctantly took his hand and started walking with him, trying hard not to turn around, "-I stayed here to think for a moment, is all. Forgot where I was supposed to meet you. What took you so long?"

"I had to wait for the bloody waiter, he took ages. Sorry you had to wait, love."

"It's alright, I…" she smiled at him when they stopped right next to the Apparition point, her small hands holding onto him. She heard the door of the restaurant open and close and the memory of what had just happened assaulted her, making her eyes burn. But no regrets. Never regrets.

"I needed this," she said and looked into his eyes, feeling as if she was not lying to him anymore.

He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes at the gesture, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she wished that was Draco. With one last look towards the alley, she let the familiar pull of Apparition take over, her heart still fluttering from the unexpected kiss. It didn't mean anything, she said to herself. It shouldn't.

And then they were gone.


	3. The Look

**A/N: Hello again, lovelies! I was bored and decided to force myself and write some more. A part of me isn't that happy about it, but I'm glad I managed to finish it on time. Like always, leave me your thoughts and reviews, I love reading those babes!**

"—_not_ to mention how it's completely ridiculous of you to do that—"

"—do you _always_ have to nag is beyond me—"

"—as if you just go around giving people mone- I do NOT nag, Malfoy!"

"—I'm always doing something wrong, you are not an easy person to please—"

"I do not nag!"

"Of course you don't."

"I just think you shouldn't have done it like that, someone might get suspicious!"

"I don't bloody care."

"Don't act like a petulant child, I'd just like to keep my reputation intact and—"

"By fucking me while being married to Weasley? Nice move, Granger."

"Do you have to be so... so blunt about it?"

He cocked his head to the side, gray eyes narrowed. It seemed as if he was scanning her, thinking the situation through in his head. It bugged her to no end. He seemed so calm all of a sudden, as if he suddenly got bored with her.

"You bore me sometimes."

She blinked.

"Granger. Accept it."

"No."

Alright, so _maybe_ she was being stubborn. And _maybe_ she was overreacting. But his behavior made her feel uneasy and when she felt uneasy, she had to question every single thing. Very loudly. It was just very difficult to deal with Malfoy sometimes, and Hermione Granger was never the one to leave the impossible tasks alone.

He showed up in her office at the Ministry informing her very briefly that he'd made a very generous donation to her S.P.E.W. movement. And then he had the nerve to just turn his back to her and walk away! She, of course, had to react very strongly to his little announcement.

In her mind, and that little bugger was quite a complicated thing, she could see people giving her strange looks, wonder about why Draco Malfoy would suddenly just do her a favor worth quite a few galleons. And then she lost it.

All she could think about was Ron's broken expression and his questions. _Why did you do that to me? Why? Why?_

Naturally, she started hyperventilating and Draco was the closest breathing thing to her. So, she had to take her frustration out on him.

"Granger-"

"Malfoy, look-"

"No. _You_ look. I did not come here to give you a choice. I came here to inform you about a transaction that is about to happen from my Gringotts account to your SPER one-"

"It's S.P.E.W."

"That's nice."

"You can't transfer your money without my signature."

"Which is why you'll sign it. The paper is on your desk."

She sighed in annoyance and threw an impatient look towards the desk, glaring at the document with a styled 'M' at the top of the page. Her foot was tapping against the floor as she contemplated what to do, nails dug in her palms so deep she thought they might start bleeding.

Her situation with Ron was getting worse. They fought all the time and she found herself getting sick and tired of it. During their old fights, there was some sort of passion there, something that tied her to him by an invisible rope and now she felt as if the rope had been cut off. By Draco Malfoy himself.

Why did he just feel the need to donate money to her? Maybe she had been complaining about the lack of donors to him from time to time, but she didn't think he was listening. He always seemed bored and uninterested. She didn't care much about it, it wasn't as if their relationship held any meaning other than good sex, but the fact that he cared even a little to come all the way to the Ministry and personally tell her made her nervous.

Well. It wasn't like he loved her. Feelings like that had no place there, that's what she kept telling herself after their last meeting. But the kiss he gave her was something she couldn't easily push out of her mind. It was as if the memory and the taste of his lips had been Spell-O-Taped to her brain, making her go crazy and replaying it over and over again.

Every time Ron would try to kiss her, she'd fight the urge to compare them. She hated how stocky he was and how his hair was so messy, because it only reminded her that her body craved for a certain tall, lean, blonde wizard…

"Granger, I can hear your brain all the way from here, it's making _me_ develop a headache."

"Good, that was my intention."

He only raised an eyebrow at her, his posture rigid as always. There was a flicker of something in his eyes and she instinctively took a step back, her bum hitting the end of her desk.

"Granger, Granger… you really need to do what I tell you sometimes without questioning it," Draco muttered as he slowly started peeling off his leather gloves, his facial expression bored.

He threw them on the chair to his right and shook the heavy black coat off his body, putting it on the hanger next to the door.

Hermione bit her lip at his handsome dark gray robes and black dragon skin boots, her body temperature rising. He looked as if he would pounce on her at any moment and her stomach did a nervous flip-flop at the thought. They were in her office, he wouldn't… he'd never do that. Right?

"I don't," her voice was a bit higher than normal and she mentally slapped herself for sounding so nervous, "I don't have to do anything you tell me, Malfoy."

She raised her chin defiantly and nodded once, her breathing growing erratic with every single step he took. He was moving slowly towards her, a smirk on his slightly pouty lips and it was so hard for her to stay where she was without jumping on him. He was playing with her for some reason, and she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her beaten.

The moment he stopped right in front of her, she let out the breath she was holding. His body was so close to hers, so close she could feel his heartbeat. Or maybe it was her own, she wasn't sure at that point. He licked his lips slowly and her eyes followed the movements of his tongue, her bum now pressed against the desk completely.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear to you that you'll do whatever I tell you, pet?" his voice was firm and deep and it went straight to her core and made her let out a small whimper. He was out of his mind, not here. Not here.

"Malfoy, don't- ah!" she gasped when his hand shot up and fisted in her messy curls, snapping her head up to him. His lips were so close that she could feel his warm breath as he spoke softly, "Turn around and lift your skirt, Granger."

She blinked.

"What, I-"

His hand grabbed her hair more firmly making her groan in the middle of the sentence. Her body was already on fire and she was sure she'd combust all of a sudden. One simple thing and she was already so hot and ready for him, it was ridiculous. She wiggled against him and a moan escaped her lips when she felt him hard against her lower stomach. Merlin.

"Turn around," he started firmly, his free hand on her thigh, tracing lazy patterns, "bend over and lift your skirt up."

It was as if she was under the Imperius curse. Her body automatically turned to face her desk and with shaky hands, she lifted her skirt slowly up and bent over, her breathing now beyond her control. All she could think about was someone walking in and catching her like this, but she wasn't strong enough to fight him. She had accepted that a long time ago.

He hummed behind her and the moment he put his palms on her thighs, she jumped in surprise, letting out a little sigh. It felt so good to be touched by him. Her body broke out in goosebumps and she wiggled a bit, spreading her legs for him.

"Mmm, good girl," he muttered and she blushed in response, feeling her knickers getting wet just from his husky voice.

His hands slid from her thighs to her bum and he squeezed it once, his cock twitching at the motion. She gripped the edge of the table and exhaled loudly, trying to get in contact with his body somehow. She felt her knickers being pushed to this side and then his fingers were touching her _there_ and it was so hard not to moan out loud to that.

"So ready for me already, Granger?" he chuckled and she could hear a faint rustle of clothing and a zip being unzipped. She whimpered and tried to rub against him again which earned her a slap on her left cheek. She froze and bit her lower lip hard, her knuckles turning white from the grip.

"Now, let's try this one more time. Sign the paper, Granger," he commanded, slowly spreading her bum cheeks apart.

She shook her head and closed her eyes tightly as his palm connected with her cheek once more. She had to stop herself from making any noise out of fear of someone walking in on them.

"D-Draco… not here, ple- OH!"

This one was much harder and it shot straight to her core making her body shake with need and want. She felt something hard and smooth sliding up and down her slit and she was too weak to stop herself from moaning out loud at the motion. She needed him inside so badly it hurt.

"Beg for it, Granger."

"Please.. oh Merlin, please. Draco.."

"Please what?" he muttered as one of his hands slid up her body and to her hair. She never understood his fascination with the mess on her head, but he was very keen on gripping it and pulling it. Not that she minded. Not at all.

"Please what, you little cunt?"

"Oh Mer-lin, please fuck me. Please," she moaned, her face heating up at the language. She loved when he made her beg for it, but she could never shake the feeling of embarrassment whenever she'd utter something like that.

There was a tiny pause and then she let out a loud whimper as he entered her suddenly, her body jerking forward on the desk. Merlin, did she miss him - the feel of him inside of her, his rough treatment of her body – everything. She didn't even have time to adjust to him before he slammed himself in again, making her cry out in pain and pleasure. He set up a pace, slowing down from time to time before speeding up again and it took every single ounce of self-control she had not to jump on him and get herself off.

He knew exactly which buttons to push, how to angle his cock and make her go crazy, how to play her body to get what he wanted and it was too hard for her to give him up.

She was beyond composed now, fucking herself back on him, muttering 'Yes', 'Harder', 'More' without caring about anything, because she was so close and she needed to come.

Suddenly, he stopped and it took her a moment to get back to the reality. She made a frustrated noise and wiggled against him only to get another slap on her bum. She groaned and tried to turn around and look at him, but his hand in her hair made it all difficult.

"Draco.. please.."

"Are you going to sign it or not, Granger?"

She almost dropped everything and walked away, her jaw opened in surprise and anger. The little... did he think she'd just sign it if he did this? This was so typical of him! She almost screamed out in frustration, but she was so so close.

"Malfoy, stop _fucking_ around and-"

She gasped when he pulled her upper body towards him, his lips next to her ear, "Do I look like I'm fucking around, Granger? Do I?" he growled, slamming his cock inside of her one more time for emphasis.

She cried out and tried to wiggle into him again, only to get another forceful slam of his hips against hers. She was shaking at that point, so close to coming, but so far as well. And he was just waiting, patient enough to prolong her pleasure and his own.

"Sign. It."

"Draco- I- Oh, Merlin, please!"

"Granger," he said silkily and she could practically hear his smirk,"Sign it and I'll make you come. I'll fuck your tight little cunt until you come for me, now sign it."

She moaned and licked her lips, looking around frantically. She noticed the damned document on her left and her hand shot out to slide it, along with a quill, towards her. Her hands were shaking as she started scribbling her name underneath his, her handwriting a mess. At that point, she didn't care anymore.

"Good, girl. Mm, fuck, you really want my cock badly, mudblood, don't you?" he growled and she moaned loudly in the response, pushing the signed paper away from herself.

The moment she did that he slammed his cock inside of her, growling loudly at how tight she was. He was fucking her with abandon now, twisting her head so he could see her face, and the moment she saw him coming inside of her was the moment she exploded around him, her body shaking as the orgasm hit her hard. She wasn't aware how much time had passed, but when she lifted her head up, he was already completely dressed.

She blushed at the display she was clearly flaunting in front of him and slowly got up, adjusting her knickers and her skirt. He had a smug smirk on his face while holding the contract with her name on it and she narrowed her eyes, feeling the need to smack that grin right out of him.

"It's always a pleasure working with you, Granger," he said and winked at her, slowly walking towards the hanger.

"I wish I could say that same thing, Malfoy," she sighed while adjusting her posture and hair, praying to Merlin she looked decent at least.

"You don't mean th-"

"Hey, Mione, you free for a-"

Ron suddenly burst into the room without knocking, making her stomach clench and her eyes fly out to Malfoy. He seemed surprised only for a moment before his face became impassive again.

"Malfoy?"

"Weasley," he said tightly, grabbing his gloves and his coat.

"We, uh.. Ron, we were just-"

"Discussing Granger's pathetic attempts of trying to make SPER work."

"It's S.P.E.W." Ron gritted out, walking towards Hermione.

"Yes, well, whatever," Draco replied in a bored tone, his eyes flickering towards Ron's hands which had just grabbed hers in an affectionate squeeze. He looked away so quickly she was sure she would have missed his look if she had blinked.

"I have things to do, you two bore me. Weasley," he nodded once towards him.

"Granger," he smirked, buttoning his coat on.

"It's Weasley for her too," Ron muttered in annoyance, his face showing off all the hostility she rememberd quite good.

Hermione bit her lip and looked at Draco before he turned around to leave, her lips itching to kiss his one more time. A part of her wanted to run into his arms and snog him silly, but another part of her, the normal one as she called it, wanted her to snap out of it. Like always, the guilt started kicking in and she suddenly felt as if Ron could smell it on her. That unmistakable stench of betrayal and need for someone else.

Without any other word Draco turned around and closed the door behind them a bit forcefully, making Hermione sigh in disappointment and relief.

"What a tosser."

"Just drop it, Ron."


	4. The Jealousy

**A/N: Hello ladies, the new chapter is up and running! Sorry about the wait, I started studying for my exam and I don't have much time on my hands. It's not your typical 'Wedding Rings' chapter, but I think you'll like it. As always, leave me your thoughts and reviews, I love reading them!**

"Hurry up, Hermione, I'm sure you look fine!"

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she let out a deep sigh. Her nerves were on the edge and she felt like it wouldn't take a lot for her to snap and hex him into oblivion. Usually, Hermione'd try and suppress these violent thoughts, but they were happening more often lately and it seemed like she stopped caring. It was awful and freeing at the same time – like letting go of a safety rope and throwing yourself into an endless pit.

"I'm not ready, Ronald, stop being so impatient!"

She heard him mumble something but decided to ignore it, too concentrated on the event that made her stomach clench in anticipation.

Her S.P.E.W. movement kicked off quite fast after Draco's generous donation and she managed to gain a lot of investors. Her dreams now were quite different from the one's of a foolish teenage girl. Instead of forcing the house elves to accept weekly salaries and take vacations, she decided to help the elves with no masters - the ones who, like Winky, couldn't find their place in the world. She dedicated the cause to Dobby, her lower lip trembling slightly in the memory of him. It felt as if the the war ended just yesterday, because the pain of the ones they lost always seemed to linger in the air. Or maybe it was suffocating her only.

"Hermio-"

"I'm coming!" she snapped and threw one last look at the mirror, a satisfied smile meeting her eyes.

The long strapless emerald green dress looked lovely on her, fitting enough to emphasize her hips and chest, and long enough to make her seem taller than she really was. A simple golden necklace was standing on her collarbone, her curls pulled up in a messy bun. She slid her hands over her hips to straighten out the dress and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"You look lovely, now let's go," he offered, his voice tight.

She took a deep breath and grabbed his hand a bit too roughly, her eyes set on their living room. Soon enough, she felt a pressure around her belly button and the familiar feeling of Apparation took her over, her feet landing on the soft carpet after a moment.

"-your coat, Madam?"

She looked to her left and smiled at one of the butlers who was in front of the main entrance, letting go on Ron's arm. The quiet storm in her stomach was getting bigger and she swallowed nervously and looked around, hoping to see _him._

They were attending one of Ministry's galas and it was the perfect place, she thought, to improve her S.P.E.W. organization and gain some important supporters. She knew Harry would be there and that was probably the only reason Ron wanted to go with her – he usually avoided situations like those since he didn't feel comfortable with his picture being taking every time he tried to have a conversation with Harry or her. She couldn't blame him really, the pressure she felt after the Final Battle knew how to take its toll on her, but at the moment, every single thing Ron did annoyed her. Barely persuading him to come with her and keep her company was one of those things, but she let it go right away.

She felt his hand on her lower back guiding her forward, the door opening itself as soon as they stepped closer to it.

The room was magnificent. Old painting of some of the most famous wizards and witches or the Ministry as well as the luxurious furniture and sculptures made the room alive, several fire places and candles enlightening it in an almost romantic way.

The moment she stepped in, she looked around for the people she had hoped she'd meet. She heard Ron mumble something but it was too late for her – her eyes locked with the gray ones and she felt as if the whole room stopped existing. Her hands were suddenly shaking and it took a great deal of effort to look away from him.

"-do you?"

"Huh?"

"I said I can't see Harry anywhere, I reckon he's not here yet."

"Oh. Yes, yes, he told me he'd be a bit late," she mumbled and looked at Draco again, only to be greeted by a sight of Astoria kissing his cheek affectionately.

Her stomach tightened and she felt a growl of sorts forming in her throat, but she was quick enough to push it all back and take a deep breath. That was… strange. She had never met the woman, that was true, but the reaction like this was not something Hermione was used to have.

Her eyes scanned Astoria's form and she couldn't help but feel as if what she had on wasn't good enough. Astoria, who was slightly taller and rather elegant, had a breathtaking dark blue dress on with expensive jewellery covering her collar bone, accentuating her high cheek bones and delicate lips. She was beautiful, and Hermione hated her for it.

"I'm going to grab something to eat, I'm starving. Would you like anything?" she heard Ron's distant voice, her eyes too busy scanning them together.

It was as if he suddenly didn't see her anymore or know she was standing right there and it really made her exhale in frustration. He was too preoccupied with his wife, whispering in her ear, touching her hand as if there was something naughty about it, this wasn't _fair_!

"Mione?"

Without really thinking it through, she turned towards Ron and slammed her lips against his, her arms locking themselves around his neck. He made an 'oof' sound, clearly surprised at her outburst, but it didn't take long for him to catch on.

She felt horrible, she really did, but her guts told her this was something she was supposed to do, and she had learned a long time ago never to disobey that. From the corner of her eye she could see Draco staring at them intently, his eyes slightly narrowed. It seemed as if he would burn them to death with his stare, which made Hermione tremendously happy. Pissing him off was something she enjoyed doing very much – it wasn't exactly healthy, but then again, their relationship wasn't either.

She slowly pulled away from Ron who had a goofy grin on his face and her stomach twisted painfully, her brain screaming at her for using him like that. It was wrong, so so wrong, but there was nothing she could do about it. When it came to Draco, she hardly ever thought things through.

"Well, that was unexpected," he joked, grabbing a hold of her hands.

"Yeah, I… sorry," she mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Sorry? Hermione, you're my wife, you shouldn't apologize," he laughed, kissing her knuckles gently.

_That's not why I'm sorry…_

"I… yes, how silly of me," she smiled and cleared her throat, sighing in relief slightly when he pulled away.

"D'ya want me to bring you something? A drink?"

"Yes, that would be lovely."

The moment he walked away she turned around to look at them again, only to be greeted by… nothing? Where did they go? She narrowed her eyes and scanned the crowd, trying to catch the familiar sight of his blonde hair and expensive robes, her teeth chewing on her lower lip.

"If it isn't the almighty Hermione Granger," she heard his voice on her right and jumped slightly, her heart picking up.

A small smile graced her lips as she was turning around, trying not to look too excited. It seemed, thought, that the fate had decided to play with her, because he was not standing alone. Next to him, clinging to his arm as if her world depended on it, was Astoria. She had a pleasant, but reserved smile on her lips, and she looked positively radiant. Hermione tried to look relaxed and keep up the act, but the moment her eyes feel on Astoria's ring finger, her guts clenched painfully. It seemed as if the wedding ring saw right through her, and even though Hermione knew it was ridiculous, she couldn't shake off the uneasiness.

"Malfoy, Mrs Malfoy," she nodded politely, straightening her back.

"Please call me Astoria, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," the blonde woman said politely, nodding back.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine," Hermione retorted dryly, making Draco's eyes snap to her in question. He had a small smirk on his lips, his right hand around his wife's waist. She chose to ignore the contact between the two.

"Don't you look lovely, Granger. Knowing you, I'd have thought you'd appear here with your sweats and jeans on," Draco drawled, his head cocked to the side.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, her lips forming a poisonous smile.

"And how would you know what I usually wear, Malfoy?"

"Darling, now is not the time," she heard Astoria's disapproving tone, her eyes still set on his. The bloody smirk was still there and he looked unfazed by the whole encounter! It threw her off sometimes – the fact that he could be so cold and calculating sometimes. She grinned in an uncharacteristic manner and looked at Astoria.

"That's alright, I'm used to your husband being an arse towards me. There's nothing he can do about it," she replied icily, glad to see Astoria's eyes narrow for a moment.

The woman nodded and looked away, a frown of sorts now evident on her face. It seemed as if she didn't approve of either Hermione's behavior or the fact that she called Draco an arse. Either way she didn't like her. At all.

"Darling, I will be back later, I think I saw Pansy somewhere in the crowd," she announced and leaned in to kiss his cheek, making Hermione fidget slightly in embarrassment. She didn't want to use the word_ jealousy_, not at all. Because_ jealous_ would mean that this was something more than just a shag. And Merlin knows it wasn't.

"Have a pleasant evening, Miss Granger," she told her after a moment, her lips pursed.

"You, too," Hermione replied, her shoulders visibly relaxing as soon as the woman left them to talk.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed at him, her eyes narrowed now. She was tense and she blamed it all on him. He looked too relaxed for her liking.

"What on Earth are you talking about, Granger?" he quirked an eyebrow and took a sip of his drink, his tongue slowly sliding out to lick his moist lips. Hermione's eyes moved to it as if on cue, her resolve now weakening.

"I.. well, you know what I mean! You're parading her around as if you're the happiest couple of the bloody century, when in fact, you're not."

"Why Granger, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were jealous."

There it was again. _Jealousy_.

"Don't make me laugh, please. This.. well, what we have, is purely sexual! And it'll always be that."

He smirked again, but for a moment she could have sworn his eyes narrowed at her. It seemed as if something changed in him only for a split second before going back to normal. He was so stuck on hiding his feelings and thoughts from her, that she couldn't help but feel the need to _know_ sometimes. He was literally doing her head in.

"Granger, come here for a moment," he said stiffly, putting down his drink.

She snapped out of her daze and raised an eyebrow in question, not sure what he meant by that.

"What, where?"

She saw his back as he went behind one of the tapestries in the room, leaving a trail of his cologne on the way. He didn't… he wasn't going to try anything here, was he? She knew he wasn't that much of an idiot, to be exposed here in front of so many people…

Next thing she knew, she was walking towards him, paying attention that no one saw her. She looked across the room and noticed Ron talking to Percy and that was the last thing she saw before being greeted by the darkness. The space behind the tapestry was small, but enough to fit them both. There was a small source of light coming through the curtain and the second her eyes landed on Draco, he pushed her against the wall and grabbed her hands, his body pressing into hers.

"Malfoy, what are-"

"Fuck, you look amazing Granger," he breathed against her lips, his scent mixed with the Firewhiskey making her dizzy. He was so close, her breasts pushed up against his chest, and she wiggled a bit, enjoying the feel of him.

"You look handsome as well," she whispered back, lifting her head.

His eyes were wide while looking at her, the gray and black mixing together. He looked at her as if she was the most delicious thing he had ever seen and it made her exhale loudly. His hand slowly travelled from her arms and waist, all the way down, grabbing the hem of her dress.

"You know how much I love seeing you in green, you picked this dress on purpose, didn't you?" he whispered forcefully, lifting it past her knees, thighs and hips.

She had no room to panic about what was going to happen because she wanted it just as badly. He made her feel things she had never thought she would feel and the addiction of having him for herself, if only like this, was too strong.

"Are you sure we shou-" her line was cut off with his lips landing on hers and her body froze. Everything exploded inside of her and she melted against him, eagerly opening her mouth for his exploration. He was so passionate and demanding, his tongue taking hers, sucking on it, teeth biting on her lower lip. She was so distracted with his mouth that she didn't even notice his hands pushing her panties to the side.

"Let me lick your little cunt, Granger, right here and now," he growled against her lips, making her skin break out in goosebumps.

She loved when he lost control like this, it made her feel like she was too much for him to handle and it was definitely a sight to behold. She only managed to whimper out a 'Please' and then he was on his knees in front of her, his hands holding her dress at her hips. For a moment, she didn't breathe or move, but then he moved his head between her thighs and her hips snapped forward, air leaving her mouth in a hiss.

His tongue was on her clit, working it in the way only he knew how to do and she had to bite her lower lip in order to stop herself from making more noise. He, on the other hand, didn't care. He would growl from time to time, his lips closing around her clit and sucking on it, hands too busy exploring her body or playing with her nipples.

She forgot how much time had passed with them in there but the moment his hand slid down her body and two of his long fingers entered her, joining his tongue in the pleasure fest, she didn't care at all. She spread her legs shamelessly, her back arching off the wall she was leaning against and her hands soon found his hair, grabbing it tightly.

"Unnghh, don't st-op, oh yes," she moaned, looking down at him as he worked her into oblivion. His eyes were dark with lust, lips, teeth and hands all over her.

"How badly do you want to come, Granger?" he growled after moving away from her, his fingers increasing their work, fucking her cunt faster and faster. It was too difficult for her to talk, her brain not able to concentrate on the words leaving his mouth, but _Merlin_, did he look _sexy_. His hair was tousled, lips moist, and his cheeks were slightly red.

She could feel her body trembling, shaking from her core and onwards and she knew she couldn't take it. Her hands grabbed his shoulders and she clumsily pulled him up and crashed her lips on his violently, moaning into his mouth as the orgasm hit her. He didn't slow down at all, helping her ride through it, kissing her in the way that made her want more and more.

It seemed as if an eternity passed before her body slumped against the wall and their lips parted. He was looking at her with that smug expression, his eyes glistening under the candle light coming from the outside.

"What?" she asked, exhaling loudly afterwards to try and catch her breath.

"You look so beautiful."

One line and her whole world shattered. It wasn't the fact that he said that, it was how he said it. As if she was so precious and fragile and he hated the thought of losing her. As if he was grateful for the fact that he had her and that she was his. As if they were different people, not two strangers locked in this world so complex and unfair, but people who were lucky enough to have stumbled upon each other. Too late, only.

"Thank you," she whispered, her thumb touching her wedding ring behind her back. This was not supposed to happen. She wouldn't let it happen. Because the odds were against them and she had no intention of changing the fate and her life. And because it was maybe just too good to be true.

"-seen her?"

The voice from the outside made her freeze and she quickly adjusted her hair, fumbling with the material of the dress. Her panties were wet and slightly ripped, her dress pushed all the way up. Her heart was beating like crazy, rummaging in her chest and the moment she looked up at Draco, the curtain was pushed to the side and she was blinded by the lights in the room. Ron's face was staring right through her, eyes narrowed. It was then that Hermione finally realized this all was going to end right there, and the heaviness in her stomach grew bigger. This was it. This was…

The curtain was suddenly drawn back and Ron continued elsewhere, still asking about her. She made an inhuman noise and turned to look at Draco who was too busy examining his finger nails.

"You didn't think I'd just go down on you here without casting a few spells, did you, Granger?" the bored tone of his voice made her growl in anger and she suddenly felt her hand flying towards his cheek, a satisfying slap echoing in the room around them.

"You fucking bastard! You could have TOLD me!" she screeched, too enraged to care about the fact that she must have looked like a bloody banshee.

"But where would be the fun in that? Fix your dress, you look like you've just got up," he said and ran a hand through his hair, making her eyes narrow. His cheek was slightly red, but he paid no attention to it, the corners of his lips curled upwards slightly.

She adjusted her dress and her underwear while glaring at him the whole time, thinking of new ways to slap the smirk from his face. When she was done she looked at him again, so many questions on her mind. One of them was something she dreaded asking herself too, seeing as she was addicted to pretending everything was simple between them. When in fact, things had never been more complicated. The shock of Ron almost catching them was slowly going away, but the guilt and pain she felt after seeing him were still present.

"I think it's high time we joined our spouses, don't you think?" he said, an eyebrow raised. "I'm sure Weasley's looking for you everywhere."

"I - yes."

Silence.

"Your wife is really lovely, Malfoy, she's beautiful," she then added for some reason, straightening her dress. She was putting all of her insecurities on the plate, offering them to him like some kind of a prize. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, to open up and show him her vulnerable side, but she wanted to be honest with herself and that meant being honest with him too. She was _jealous_ of her. And it was eating her up inside.

He nodded once and looked into her eyes, scanning her whole demeanor. It was as if he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't form themselves. He seemed to be thinking things through, trying to see what to say or how to end the encounter with a sarcastic retort or a smirk on his face. She knew him too well.

"The beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Granger. My taste is much more simple than that and-" his eyes slid up and down her form, the beginning of a smile forming on his lips,"-much feistier than I'd like to admit."

With that, he exited the small space, leaving Hermione speechless and shocked. It was like a slap in the face and she found herself laughing and shaking her head at the git who had just disappeared, leaving her wondering whether things were actually complicated, or she just liked making them seem like that.


	5. The Truth

**A/N: Enjoy, lovelies! Leave me lots of reviews and I'll give you cookies in return! Thank you for reading. :)**

She looked around her living room once more, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Everything was perfectly clean and organized what with her book collection filling up the shelves all around the room, but no matter how spotless the place looked, her nerves wouldn't let her calm down. This was something she had never done in her life, but it was also something she couldn't have stopped even if she tried to. Malfoy could be very… persuasive when he wanted something.

Sliding her sweaty palms down her jeans, she counted to ten in her head, feeling her heart beat slow down. Her eyes slid to her family pictures with the Weasley's and especially Ron, and she felt a pressure in her chest. It was getting harder to go with this, too difficult to even think about it, but for the first time in her life she wasn't brave enough to do anything about it.

It was very late at night, while he was sleeping next to her, that she realized she didn't love him anymore. At least, not like he loved her. She was tossing and turning, too frustrated to work or eat or do anything to get her mind off things, but the answer was right there. Truth was sometimes better when avoided, but whether she liked it or not was a different story.

Hermione was the type who liked when things had a pattern. She liked leading a happy life with Ron, liked visiting his family every Sunday for lunch and some good gossip, liked to pretend her life was ideal. But it was far from that. Suddenly, the pattern started boring her. It was all the same. The kisses, the fights, the visits, the stories – they were put on repeat, shaping her life in the way she didn't expect. So when Draco came in, he offered something different. Excitement, fun, passion, hate, it was all merged together and his visits and their moments together affected her and turned him into something she craved.

A sigh escaped her lips and for a moment she thought about removing the pictures and bringing them back once he left. Her wand was in her hands and the Vanishing Spell was on the tip of her tongue when the doorbell rang, making her jump in surprise. She looked at the clock above the mantle and shook her head. Right on time.

Walking up to the door, Hermione licked her lips nervously and tucked her wand in. One, two, three.

"Granger."

"Malfoy."

He stared at her with a smirk on his lips, slowly peeling off his black leather gloves.

"Are you going to invite me in or are we fucking outside?"

She cringed at his bluntness and shook her head, opening the door wider so he could come in.

"You're alone?" the smugness in his voice made her roll her eyes.

"No, I invited my parents and Harry to join us, I thought it'd be nice to spice things up," Hermione deadpanned, eyeing him as he was taking off his coat. He was wearing her favorite gray robe underneath, his dragon skin ankle boots shiny and new.

"Kinky, Granger," he chuckled, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes, yes, just get in."

He extended his hand and signaled for her to walk in first which made raise an eyebrow, but comply nonetheless. As she was walking into the living room a part of her couldn't help but wonder whether he'd like her house. It wasn't as if she and Ron weren't well off, but she knew what he was used to and it made her feel uncomfortable to bring him here in the first place.

"What a lovely home."

"Piss off."

"I beg your pardon? I can't even give you a compliment without you-"

"- compliment, my arse! You were sarcastic and-"

"-it is as if I'm the bad guy no matter what I do-"

"- I know what you're thinking when you use _that_ tone-"

" -was simply observing the surroundings, is all-"

"Oh, shut up!"

He chuckled and sat down in the chair next to the fireplace, his head cocked to the side.

"I was surprised when you called me here."

She was too. Ron told her a few days ago how he had some important Auror business to do outside of England and he was supposed to be gone for two weeks. She understood right away and didn't even question anything because it meant she had time for Draco. She knew it was bad and that Ron didn't deserve it, but if she was honest with herself, she didn't really care.

All Hermione knew was that both her and Draco were sick and tired of cheap motels and stained carpets. So, without even thinking things through, she invited him over. He was taken aback first, shock evident on his face, but, like always, it melted into a mask of indifference followed by a snarky comment and a smirk. And after that it was too late. He just would not uninvite himself.

"Yes, well, me too."

She was leaning against the couch opposite of him, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"Relax, Granger, this is your home after all."

Her eyes narrowed and her spine straightened right away, chin up in the air. It was an automatic response to his teasing, something he loved seeing her do. She was too predictable in his humble opinion. She had concluded long time ago that there was nothing humble about this wizard, though.

"When is Weasley coming home?" he asked, his eyes scanning the family pictures behind him.

Before she had time to answer he shot up out of his chair and walked slowly to the mantel, his steps echoing in the room. His hands were clasped behind his back as he observed the pictures, snorting and muttering slightly whenever Harry would come into the view. Predictable.

"He said he'd come back in two weeks or so and-"

"Is this Potter's spawn?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Well?"

"Yes. That's James."

"Huh. I can tell he's going to be as much of a wanker as his bloody fathe-"

"Malfoy!" she snapped, her cheeks flushing in anger.

He didn't even turn around, his attention moving to the second picture there. She was standing in the background with the whole Weasley clan except Fred and Charlie, happily waving at the camera. He hummed and shook his head and she could only imagine what was on his mind, but she chose to ignore it. It couldn't have been anything good.

"You don't belong here."

"I-what?" her attention was on him now, eyes widened slightly.

"You heard me," he simply added, turning around to look at her.

"I did hear you, but what exactly did you mean by that?" it was a snappy questions but she had no patience for his games now.

"You don't belong with them. Or him," he said as he walked away from the fireplace and started coming closer to her, his eyes narrowed as he took her in.

She felt like she was barely breathing, but her chest rose and fell fast, her hands now shaking again. It was not normal how he made her feel, but she wasn't sure whether it was the physical or the emotional side that scared her.

"You're," he started as he stopped right in front of her, his hand slowly travelling to her cheek, "different, Ganger."

Hermione was sure she wasn't breathing at that point, her eyes locked onto his. There was a small crease between his eyebrows, his lips puckered slightly and his eyes darker than usual. She unconsciously moved forward, their noses almost bumping.

"What do you mean?" she breathed, gasping slightly when his other hand wrapped itself around her waist to bring her closer, their bodies flush against one another.

"You don't belong with him, we both know it, Granger. He can't understand you, he doesn't know how to handle you and you're miserable. I see that, I see it every time you're desperate for me."

His voice was like a drug, making her dizzy with both sound and words, her body relaxed against his. He had the sweetest breath and she licked her lips in anticipation, her hands tightening their hold on his upper arms.

"Draco…"

"Admit it, Granger," he continued, his lips now grazing hers, toying with her, challenging her. He loved playing games after all.

"And I suppose your wife is perfect for you, isn't she?" she questioned and the moment she saw his face, she regretted it.

He smirked and pushed himself away from her, going back to the fireplace. Her whole body was on fire from the contact and he acted as if he wasn't affected in the slightest. Prick.

"My marriage is none of your business," he added after a while, stopping in front of her and Ron's wedding picture. He was holding her from behind, their faces happy and grinning. She was once head over heels in love with him, and the picture was the proof. What changed?

"And mine is to you?" she snapped, not believing his hypocrisy.

"Isn't this lovely, so young and in love," he sneered at the picture, his shoulders tensing all of a sudden. She was taken aback by the change in his posture, feeling slightly uneasy. Was he… jealous?

"Yes, well, I do care for him," she added after a minute of debating whether or not she should test his reaction further, her body vibrating from some sort of strange energy. It was as if they were coming closer to an unknown territory, something that shouldn't be touched or talked about.

"Do you?" he turned around suddenly, his eyes narrowed. He seemed agitated and it took him two seconds to push himself away from the picture and stalk towards her, suddenly grabbing her upper arm.

She gasped in surprise, her eyes narrowing automatically at his behavior.

"Yes, I do. Now let me go," she gritted out, her breathing quickening.

"Or," he started, lowering his lips to hers and hovering over them, his eyes focused on her brown ones, "else," he continued then, his free arm grabbing her ass and pushing it towards him, "what?"

She whimpered and that was the last sound she made because he was suddenly kissing her passionately, his hands tightening in her hair and around her waist, trying to pull them together even closer. It was heavenly, kissing him. She got lost in his scent, taste, the sounds he was making, it all made her feel like everything they did was worth it and even more.

She wasn't aware at which point they actually started clawing their clothes off, but a gasp left her lips the moment his hands landed on her bare shoulders. She realized she was in her bra and jeans while he only had his shirt unbuttoned.

Hermione pouted slightly at the clothes on him and he laughed in return, letting her lips slide down his neck. She sucked on a spot that made him go crazy and the groan he let out went straight to her core, her panties growing wetter.

Her hands managed to push his shirt off his body, her lips sliding down his pale collarbone, tracing a faint Sectumsempra scar and then onwards, over his hard stomach and navel. She got on her knees and looked up at him while unbuttoning the belt on his trousers, her eyes half-lidded from the excitement and pleasure. He was beautiful. His hair was a mess from her hands and cheeks slightly red. But his eyes were the cause of her becoming breathless all of a sudden. Dark gray with a hint of blue, they bore into her own and for a moment she could have sworn she saw something in there that showed this wasn't meaningless. The feeling quickly passed and she willed herself not to think about it, her hands sliding his boxers and trousers down.

His cock was hard and ready and she licked her lips in anticipation, a smirk almost forming on her lips when she heard his growl. He quite liked seeing her on her knees for him and it was something she loved doing as well.

Wrapping one arm around the base of his cock, she let her tongue play with the tip, closing her eyes the moment his hands dug into her hair. She loved when he was in control and he knew that as well. It was something she could never truly experience with Ron simply because he'd always stop to ask whether or not he was too rough or rude. Draco obviously had no problem with that.

"Mmm, take it in your mouth, Granger," he managed to say, his voice deep and husky.

Hermione moaned in return and wrapped her lips around the head, slowly letting them slide down. His hands tightened in her hair and he pulled her closer a bit, making her open her mouth wider to take him in. She relished in the little sounds and growls he was making and the taste of him was something that always turned her on. Her head was bobbing back and forth, her hand, which was wrapped around the base, now playing with his balls. He growled a 'Fuck' under his breath, throwing his head back and she doubled her efforts, wanting more of that reaction.

His eyes were closed, lips slightly open and she thought he had never looked more beautiful and sexier than when he was with her like this. It was the only time he seemed to let go of his facade, the only time she felt she could reach out to him and see him for who he really was.

He suddenly grabbed her upper arms and pulled her to him, his lips landing on top of hers almost violently. She felt him grab her and lift her up, palms flat against her bum. Hermione giggled and squealed when he started walking forward, furrowing her eyebrows as soon as he stopped. He dropped her gently on a cold surface and she let out another squeal, her skin breaking out in goosebumps.

"Take these off and spread your legs for me, Granger," he growled, his hand slowly moving up and down his cock.

She let out a shuddering breath and slowly took her bra and panties off, trying hard not to look awkward while doing it. Once they were on the floor, she spread her legs willingly, the cold air hitting her wet pussy. She heard him exhale sharply and move closer, her nipples tightening in arousal.

"Say it," he ordered, brining his cock close to her cunt and rubbing the head up and down.

"Unngh, fuck me," she managed to choke out, seeking his eyes with her own.

He let the tip slide in slowly before pulling it out again, a smirk on his lips. His eyes were dark, playful, but he seemed to be controlling himself too much. His arms were tense and his jaw clenched, and she felt the sudden urge to touch it and kiss it.

"Beg me, say it again, fucking little mudblood," he growled, the head of his cock now going up and down against her clit. She moaned and closed her eyes, blush coloring her cheeks at his tone and words.

"Please Draco… please – fuck me. Fuck me," she repeated, trying to get closer to him now.

He licked his lips and slowly let his cock slide in, letting out a deep groan at the same time as she whimpered. It was slow and deliberate and she gripped the edges of the table, pushing herself closer to him. That resulted in him sliding in deeper and they both gasped at the contact, her eyes opening to stare at him. There was a brief pause in which he just looked at her, his face completely blank and before she even had time to register it, he moved back and slammed himself into her again, making her cry out.

The pace he set after that was hard and fast, her body moving up and down the table easily as he fucked her with abandon, her favorite words leaving his lips every now and then. He knew exactly what to tell her to make her blood boil and the way he'd slightly change the angle to hit her sweet spot drove her absolutely insane.

"Yes… like that – oh Merlin, yes, yes," she was chanting, little buds of sweat rolling down his cheeks and falling on her stomach. It was so sensual and incredibly sexy that she started begging for more, harder, faster and he complied.

He was slamming into her with all his strength, his lips now on her breasts, sucking on her nipples. He locked their eyes together and bit down on the nipple in his mouth, making her body arch off the table. Hermione rolled her hips against him, wanting him inside of her now and the notion was too much for her. Her body was suddenly shaking and she was so close, moaning his name and begging and pleading for more and before she could continue with that, his finger found its way to her clit, rubbing it fast. It was enough to send her over the edge and she cried out in pleasure as her body shook, his movements slowing down enough for her to ride through her orgasm.

She felt him speed up again after a moment and she managed to bring herself up, grabbing his head and kissing him on the lips. He seemed slightly surprised but she didn't care, her teeth and tongue owning his mouth as he fucked her. When she felt him tense, she let go of him, her eyes widening slightly at the image in front of her. His body was slick with sweat and his hair tousled, his eyes onto hers as he fought hard to catch his breath.

"I love y-this."

One silly word. Her body froze and she gasped slightly, praying to Merlin he didn't hear her. She thought she saw a flicker of a reaction in his eyes, but his face was perfectly calm. Either he was that good at controlling himself or he just didn't hear her.

"Do you?" his voice was hoarse and raspy.

"You know I do," she whispered back and for a moment wondered whether they were talking about the same thing or not.

He lowered his head slightly and let his lips graze hers, their foreheads now touching.

"Granger…"

"Yes?"

His eyes were closed as he struggled to catch his breath, but the sheer intimacy of their position made her heart ache.

"… I need to go. I have some business to attend to."

And just like that they were back to square one. She exhaled in both relief and disappointment and nodded at him, pushing her body back to let him move. He grabbed his wand and started 'accio-ing' his clothes, and the sudden silence was unbearable.

After finding her bra and panties and putting them back on, she slid off the table and walked up to her wand, cleaning up all the mess that they had left behind. He was already done and ready to go, his eyes wandering around the room. He didn't even look at her.

"I'll stop by your office when I'm free."

"Alright."

"But it has been an honor fucking you in your-"

"Malfoy."

"Granger."

"You're not funny."

"You're right, I'm actually hilarious."

She smiled despite herself.

He only nodded. After throwing one last look in her direction that she was sure meant more than just goodbye, he turned on his heels and walked away, grabbing his gloves and coat in the process. The moment the front door closed and she heard the distinctive sound of Apparation, she let out a shuddering breath and cursed herself outloud, her stomach dropping.

She was so close. The night she couldn't fall asleep next to Ron, the one in which her mind kept reminding her how things had changed and how her feelings were not that same was the same night she realized her heart belonged to someone else. Someone who maybe didn't deserve it. Someone who made her feel that everything was possible. Someone who understood her and owned her in every way. And that was the truth.


	6. The Downfall

**A/N: I am so so so so sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I really am! But I'm not a consistent writer and with my mid-terms being a pain in the ass I couldn't make myself sit down and write anything. Here you go, a brand new chapter! I really hope you like it and leave reviews as always!**

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><p>"Alright, that is it."<p>

"That is _what_, Harry?"

"Hermione, do you think I'm stupid? Wait, you don't have to answer that, but d'you really think I don't see what's going on here?"

Hermione exhaled sharply and closed the file in her hand, her eyes dancing across the room. She refused to meet his gaze simply because she was afraid of what she might see in there, her hands trembling slightly. After a long day at work Harry decided to stop by her office and check upon her, obviously worried and wondering. They hadn't talked much in the last few weeks or so and she knew it was mostly her fault – he _did_ try getting into touch with her but she was always refusing for Merlin knew what reason.

Like everything in life, Hermione enjoyed overanalyzing her feelings. Granted, it was much harder for her to sit down and mull things over when it came to Draco and their relationship, but it gave her a sense of calm, a sense of… familiarity, in a way. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in her little fling with Malfoy – except the fact that she was cheating on her husband with him, she added bitterly – but overanalyzing things meant that she was still her old self, that she didn't lose her annoying and exhausting ways and it pleased her. But only a bit.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" She sighed, putting her file down and bringing her hands up to rub her aching temples.

She could feel an incoming headache and it made her scowl slightly, the pain not welcome at the moment at all.

"I'm talking about you and Ron! What is going on?" He demanded worriedly, green eyes half-lidded and intense.

She sucked in a sharp breath and let it out with a simple chuckle, obviously dismissing his assumption. If she had the opportunity to freeze time for a moment and actually register a reaction, she would likely swear and bang her head against the wall, because that was the last thing she wanted to talk about. Especially with Harry.

"Nothing is going on, honestly! We're just… going—"

"—Through a rough time, yes," he finished for her in a rush, clearly annoyed.

"Ron keeps telling me the same thing, did you two decide to spill the same story to everyone or—"

"Look, Harry—"

"No, listen. _Please_."

Hermione exhaled and nodded once, her hands clasped together in her lap now.

"I know it's none of my business, but I see that there's something going on and it really annoys me that I can't help. He seems unhappy, you seem miserable, so what gives?"

He smiled at her after a moment or two, his body relaxing. It seemed as if he had wanted to get that out of his system for quite a while, and Hermione bit her lip and smiled back slightly, her fingers clenching the hem of her skirt.

"You're right, Harry. It hasn't been that amazing and I don't think I'm happy," She said honestly, looking away.

It felt good to get things out in the open without revealing much, and Hermione suddenly found herself unable to stop, everything she had wanted to spill now coming up and bubbling over.

"I just can't see _us_ anymore. We used to be so fun. We fought, we—we cared, we cared about every single thing and now it's all automatic; fake, really. And I feel like I'm being suffocated and I hate it. I just wish I could do something about it, but I look at Ron and I see that he's given up as well – we both have."

That felt amazing. Taking in a deep breath, Hermione forced herself to look at him, their eyes meeting half way. He only nodded once and inhaled, seemingly thinking things through. She knew he was only looking out for them, trying to help – and she was grateful, really – but she also knew that she hadn't told him everything and it killed her.

"Well, how are you dealing with it all?"

The silence was unbearable as the obvious answer to that question came up and hung in the air, the images of Draco not helping her state at all. Hermione cleared her throat and fidgeted slightly, trying to figure out a way to answer his question without him being suspicious. She wasn't ready to tell him the whole truth yet, and she knew that he wouldn't be able to handle it anyways. Not yet.

"Well, I—I work a lot, and—I," she looked away with her brows furrowed, not able to express herself properly.

"I stay in my office and deal with things, I guess," she concluded after a while, looking back at him.

"Well, obviously, what I meant wa—" He suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"Fucking hell!"

"What is it?"

"Auror department, they need me," he said casually as he took his wand out, holding the vibrating stick in his left hand. Hermione nodded once and a part of her felt relieved, knowing that they would have to drop the subject.

"The damn thing won't stop buzzing, it must be urgent, I—"

"No, go, go, it's fine."

"Are you sure, Hermione?"

His eyes were worried and honest, the green in them taking her in slowly. She refused to let him win and get information out of her like that, breaking the eye contact instead and getting up.

"I'm sure. I'll talk to you some other time, okay?" She said and walked around her desk, coming to stand in front of him.

"Okay, sure," He muttered and enveloped her into a big hug, making her laugh and hug him back. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, knowing she was doing the right thing for now. For him and herself.

Once he left her office, Hermione had no idea what to do with herself. She wasn't in the mood to do any work, the papers scattered all over her desk as an omniscient reminder of what was waiting for her later on. Sighing slowly and rubbing the knots from her neck, she walked up to the front of her desk and let her palms fall down on its surface, closing her eyes for a moment. Her back was facing the door and she needed only a moment to collect her thoughts and feelings because then she would be fine.

She hadn't seen Draco in a while and it killed her, whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not. She heard through the grapevine that he went on a vacation with his wife and it caused a huge wave of jealousy to surge through her, making her shake with rage. _How dare he!_ That was her first thought. The second one, on the other hand, was how dare _she_. She was the mistress (she flinched at the word) and she had no right to demand anything from him. But the son of a bitch made her blood boil and she wanted nothing more than to erase that stupid little smirk from his face with one little slap and—

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when the door of her office opened and she didn't even bother to look who it was, rolling her neck around to get rid of the stiffness.

"Harry, did you forget something?" she muttered and squeezed her eyes shut, managing to straighten herself up. When she heard no answer her eyes narrowed and panic gripped her for a moment, her brown irises frantically searching for her wand. She could feel someone's presence in the room and the thought made her jumpy and ready to curse no matter who it was – she hated people sneaking up on her.

One step backwards and she was slammed against the desk suddenly, a loud gasp leaving her lips as a pair of hands grabbed hers and pinned them down to the surface. She opened up her mouth to scream, but the stranger quickly grabbed her face and shut her down, his tall body pressed up against hers.

"As much as I enjoy you screaming, Granger," a familiar voice hissed suddenly, making her eyes widen, "I wouldn't advise you to do it now."

It was as if her whole body molded into his automatically, the worry and fear about whomever the stranger was suddenly switched to excitement and slight annoyance. She grunted in response but made no move at all, her chest rising and falling slightly as she was trying to get a grip.

"Mm, that's how I like you – quiet and obedient," He murmured and released one of her hands, moving his palm to her hip and pressing into it.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she let out a small whimper, his words evoking the passion she seemed to have lost for a while. It was amazing how he could make her feel, and she never got sick of it. She licked her lips when he removed his hand from her mouth and put it on the other hip, pulling her closer to him, his semi-erection pressing into her bum. She couldn't help but moan and rub back slightly, enjoying the hiss of pleasure he released upon the contact.

"Well, someone's eager," He said breathlessly.

"I've missed you," She said without flinching, not caring if it was too personal. She yearned for his touch and taste and needed it right now, the sense of where she was and the possibility of someone walking in on them not concerning her at all.

"I've missed you too, Granger," He growled, letting his hands slide down until they passed the hem of her skirt. He started pulling it up as they travelled back to their original destination, the hot touch of skin on skin sensual and pleasurable.

"Where have you been?" She asked after a few moments of silence, a breath hitching in her throat as she felt her skirt slide all the way up, the beginning of her panties now exposed to the air. He only hummed in response and she could hear him lick his lips next to her ear, the action sending a shudder down her spine.

"It doesn't matter," He whispered slowly, his index finger brushing against her clit over the underwear. Her knees buckled and she used the table in front of her to catch herself, feeling his breathing quickening gradually.

She moaned and let her head fall back against his chest, spreading her legs slightly. He growled in approval and slapped her thigh once, wanting her to open them up wider. She loved when he was in control like that, her body humming in pleasure at the way he handled her. He really did know exactly what to do in order to turn her on and make her react to his actions and the fact that she gave him so much power over her terrified her and pleased her at the same time.

"Did you think of me, you little Mudblood?" He hissed as his index finger finally covered her clit, rubbing it in circles slowly at first. Hermione groaned wantonly in response, struggling to stay up with the onslaught of pleasure. She bit her lip as a small whimper came out, a nod of her head the answer to his question. She could feel him grow harder against her arse, and she rubbed against his erection on purpose, enjoying his little grunt of satisfaction. No matter how much she enjoyed making him react to her too, a small nagging thought wouldn't leave her alone and she let out a shuddering breath, the question leaving her lips before she could stop it.

"Were you with Astoria?" She asked breathlessly, closing her eyes and biting her lip when she felt him freeze.

"Granger," He said warningly, a small dose of annoyance present in his voice.

The way he said it made her pause and narrow eyes, anger suddenly rising within her. Well, then. She wasn't allowed to question anything, to wonder about anything when it came to his life, yet he felt the need to comment on her marriage with Ron and friendship with Harry all the time.

"Don't patronize me, Malfoy."

"I'm not, you're just irritating the _fuck_ out of me right now."

"The feeling is mutual."

He growled and pushed himself away from her, taking a few steps back.

Breathing in deeply Hermione finally allowed herself to turn around and look at him, the sight before her eyes sending a shiver down her spine. He looked quite handsome and healthy, a very attractive glow surrounding him, if you could ignore the air of annoyance that was currently trying to take over. Despite the scowl that was etched on his lips, he really did look amazing, a small stubble occupying his jaw and chin. His blonde hair was slicked back with few strands falling into his eyes and the coat he was wearing paired up with his new boots gave him an aura of power.

She exhaled shakily and forced her eyes to meet his, narrowing them at the curious expression he was giving her.

"Are you done ogling me?"

"Are you done being a prick?"

"Bitch."

"Oh, how _original_, Malfoy, tell me—"

"—can't believe you're doing this again, it's getting quite boring—"

"—because I happen to think I'm entitled to know things and wonder about your life too!"

"Yes."

She faltered and blinked a few times, her brain trying to wrap itself around that one simple word.

"Yes, _what_?"

"Yes, I was with her."

"Oh."

She shouldn't have felt so possessive and jealous, she knew that much, but the green monster was revengeful and it bit her hard, practically making her see red.

"I had to. She practically forced me to go with her and I decided to do so because her bitching was getting on my nerves."

Hermione exhaled once and licked her lips, a part of her enjoying this. She felt like a school girl, eager to hear more gossip about Mrs. Malfoy and relishing in it, but that moment soon stopped and she felt like slapping herself. What exactly did he do to her to make her act like this?

"I'm glad."

Draco smirked and raised an eyebrow at her response, his body visibly relaxing. He would always tense up whenever they would start one of their little fights and she reacted to him like that as well, always keeping her distance, but raising her voice for effectiveness. He seemed to find it agitating.

"You, on the other hand," He drawled and started walking towards her, the smirk only getting deeper, making her flush all over. "I've missed your tight little cunt, Granger."

Hermione whimpered in return and took a step back for some reason, her back hitting her desk. She could hear her own breathing and nothing else besides that, her ears filled with a sort of a buzzing sound that excluded everything but his sensual voice.

"I've missed your cock," She managed to say bluntly, relishing in his reaction. She was always reluctant to use dirty words but knew how much he loved her breaking the rules, his eyes suddenly growing darker and his breathing getting heavier.

He walked up to her in two long strides and slammed her body against the desk again, their noses almost touching. His eyes were so intense, _too_ intense that she had no idea how to react to them, a small whimper of need escaping her throat and getting lost in his breath.

He seemed to stare at her for a long time, their bodies feeding off each others' energies and attraction. One of his hands went up and cupped her cheek, making her eyes flutter closed. She leaned against his palm and it was her heart that was thundering suddenly, a panic-like feeling gripping her stomach and making her struggle for breath.

"You're so beautiful," He whispered as if in daze, and she was afraid of opening her eyes, not wanting him to disappear or retreat from his confession.

"It was a nightmare being stuck with her for a week. She's controlling, jealous, possessive and just plan fucking annoying. She's obsessed with looking perfect every single second of every hour and I'm suffocated by the mere presence of her."

Hermione's eyes were widened as she stared up at him, her heart racing from excitement. She had never heard him say anything negative about Astoria, or even talk about her in general, and she felt like he had finally reached his limit. It was almost as if he snapped and she was there to connect it all and get the picture she oh so desperately needed. He was just as miserable as she was and he _needed_ this, whatever it was, as badly as she did.

"She's… not you, Granger. Fuck, no one is. You're in my head and I can't seem to get you out no matter what," He hissed and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

She guessed he was trying to calm himself and not give away too much, his hands leaving a fiery trail on her skin. With her cheeks and neck flushed, her body eager for him, she took in a sharp breath, moving closer.

"Draco—"

"This is more than fucking."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A _fact_. Her body reacted to his words and she was suddenly shaking all over, her eyes dancing around and focusing on his, the blue in his irises swallowing the gray and making them seem more human, less… deadly.

"I don't know—" He shook his head and moved his lips closer to hers, their breaths mingling, "—I have no idea what to do. I just want to—fuck—"

And then his lips were claiming hers like never before and she let herself go and grabbed him, pulling him as close as possible. The kiss was rushed and desperate and she was taking as much as she was giving, their tongues dancing around as their teeth clashed. She felt him growl against her and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and slid her hands into his hair, pulling him down to get more of him – more taste, more scent, just _more_.

Draco suddenly grabbed her and pulled her up, letting her fall down on the desk with a dull thud. Her hands were frantic as they were trying to unbutton his coat and take it off, the need to feel him against her stronger than any caution she would have usually had.

Their kiss only grew more passionate and she was completely oblivious to the door opening, a pair of green eyes covered with glasses peeking through the crack.

"Hey, Hermione, I'm off now and—"

The voice she heard made every single cell in her body freeze and she could feel Draco react in the same way, a small hiss of 'Fuck' leaving his lips.

Taking in a shuddering breath laced with disbelief she removed her lips from his and looked to the right above Draco's shoulder, her panicked brown eyes meeting the eyes of an extremely angry and disappointed Harry Potter. And that was her downfall.


	7. The Beginning

**A/N: Don't kill me! *ducks* But I had exams! And I was lazy. Here you go, a brand new shiny chapter! Thank you SO much for the reviews, I can't believe that something which started as a one-shot got up to 200 reviews! I love reading them so don't be shy. Enjoy. ;)**

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><p>"This is so <em>you<em>, Malfoy, I feel like you've come to work here only to make my life a living hell—"

"Despite what you think, Granger, my life doesn't revolve around you and—"

"–is the reason for your constant nagging, it's like you feel this compulsive need to be an arsehole all the time—"

"—and I am _deeply_ offended, I really am—"

"Oh, piss off!"

"Stop screaming like a bloody banshee then!"

"Make me!"

A growl that rumbled in Draco's chest made Hermione take a cautious step back, her shoulders tense and eyes glaring daggers at him. She was itching to wrap her hand around her wand and hex him to bits and pieces but she knew she wouldn't have a good enough explanation for his disappearance.

In all honesty, working with him was _horrible_. After she had been promoted, Hermione had no other choice but to cooperate with him and his staff, his obnoxious wealth and connections desperately needed for her next project. She tried to get out of it, she really did. She tried to raise money on her own, called every single Ministry official she could in order to get some help, but they all basically slammed the door right in her face and offered an apologetic smile with it. She was stuck with him, and it was a nightmare.

Instead of spending nights working on her S.P.E.W. ideas and developing them with a preferably not narcissistic arse, she was stuck with the Spawn of Satan himself and he made sure to give her hell every single day. It probably made him feel right at home.

They started communicating slowly, literally saying just a word or two to each other in the beginning, obviously both displeased for having to work with one another. But once they started commenting on the other's work, the fights began and it seemed as if they'd never end. He would nag about every single thing she did and complain how she was incapable of handling business as a mature person. It started off with him insulting her ideas and snorting at her suggestions, continued with him actually ignoring her whenever she would ask a question and even read his own ideas out loud to somehow prove they were better and more sufficient than hers and ended with him giving out comments on the annoying and obnoxious way she typed, stacked her papers as if she was suffering from OCD, and putting his life in danger for carrying around a dead rotting animal on her head.

"You are the most annoying witch I've had the misfortune to work with; I don't even understand how Weasley puts up with you."

"Do _not_ get Ron into this! It's none of your business! And I could say the same thing about your wife–she must have some serious patience to deal with your childish behavior all the time."

"She deals with it because she loves my cock, Granger."

And then there was that. After one particularly long night of working, Draco made sure to give out a quite inappropriate comment about her sex life with Ron which made her stutter and blush like never before. Him, being the prowling arse that he was, sensed that she was uncomfortable with talking about it, so he'd drop in suggestive things from time to time and relish in her embarrassed reactions, that evil smirk only further proving her theory that he came from Lucifer himself.

This time was no exception and Hermione cleared her throat and shifted on the couch of her office, uncrossing and crossing her legs again as faint blush covered her cheeks. She felt awkward about him being so blunt and sexual with her – it felt unnatural, and most of all, sometimes made her interested in how it'd be if Ron talked like that to her – and the last thing she wanted was to compare Malfoy to her husband.

"Shut up," Hermione muttered and her eyes slid from his piercing grey to the paper in front of her, her hands shaking slightly. She hated when he threw her off like that.

Smirking and cocking his head to the side, Draco leaned back into his chair, ignoring the stack of papers covering the small desk of her office. It was quarter past 12 and she was tired, wanting nothing more than to go home and sleep instead of dealing with him and his childish ways. Alas.

"I never saw you as the prude type, Granger," Draco muttered after a few moments of silence, loosening his tie and pushing his robe further apart to make himself comfortable.

"Excuse me?"

"I said: "I never saw you as the pr—"

"Yes, I heard you," Hermione snapped impatiently, throwing the paper she was holding down and snapping her eyes to his, "What did you mean by that?"

"This–" He waved his hand towards her, obviously motioning towards her attire and looks, "–look that you have – it doesn't suit your behavior."

Hermione looked down at her clothes, furrowing her eyebrows. She had always dressed accordingly to her age and looks, but she made sure not to overdo it. A jacket, white shirt, skirt and a pair of sensible high heels were always a part of her business attire, and she was genuinely interested now in what he meant by that statement.

"How so?"

Draco sighed and leaned across the table, raising an eyebrow as his eyes narrowed slightly, obviously thinking what to tell her. It felt strange to actually have a normal conversation with him no matter the subject, and not scream at him or take his insults and she suddenly realized how this was their record. Fascinating.

"You… look good, Granger," He started, oblivious to her eyes widening and her jaw almost dropping. There was some sort of buzzing in her ear and she wasn't aware of anything for a second, too shocked to even ask him whether he was joking or not.

"I mean, there is definitely room for improvement, don't get me wrong. But you look good. Your arse especially. I'm a bloke– we notice things like that," he shrugged, and Hermione let out a small sound which was something caught between a squeal and snort. He ignored it.

"You look good, you're married to that moron, and yet you act like a school girl whenever I say something suggestive. My point is, one would think you're not a prude since you do not dress like one, you're too blunt for your own good and you have no restriction whatsoever when telling me where to stuff my wand, so… Why that reaction to my suggestive lines?"

"I—I don't—" Hermione started slowly, blinking a few times to collect her thoughts and calm her racing pulse. The more he stared at her with that same smirk the harder she was flushing, her cheeks radiating so much heat she felt like she'd melt any moment.

"I just don't see the point of you being so crude in front of me, that is all!"

"Why?"

"Because—Because it's—"

"What?"

"You don't find it strange?"

Draco shrugged and leaned back, licking his lip once.

"Not really, no. This is how I am, why would I hold myself back?"

Well. Alright, he had a point.

"I just think that you're not used to a real man, Granger—"

"Oh, as if that has anything to do with this. I asked you because of what you've said – not so you could try and prove to me you're a better shag than my husband!" She snapped heatedly, a nervous chuckle following her statement.

This was all completely wrong. In no universe was she supposed to wonder what was Malfoy like in bed. It felt surreal and it even felt like she was betraying Ron and herself by thinking it. He was obviously doing all this to throw her off and have some fun because the sadistic gleam in his eyes didn't prove the contrary at all.

"I'm not a prude, Malfoy," Hermione muttered after a few moments of silence, her eyes finding his.

"Right."

"I'm not!"

"You act like one," Draco added, running a hand through his hair which caused a few strands to fall into his eyes, framing his sharp features and giving them some depth.

"I do not."

"Alright then, get up."

"Excuse me?" Hermione said, her eyes widening at the request.

This was _her_ office, he had no right to order her around! The git thought he was a bloody God, but she wouldn't bow down to him no matter how much money he was giving out to her plans and work.

"Just get up then, I want to see whether you're lying or not. Prove to me you're not a prude."

She had to be out of her mind, there was no other explanation. Slowly and cautiously getting up, Hermione stood straight and raised her chin as if to defy him in a way, walking around the desk and standing next to him with her hands on her hips. What exactly did he have in mind and why was she going along with it? She supposed it was late and she was tired, but if he tried anything, she would hex him so badly he'd never think of staying alone with her ever again.

Shrugging his robe off, Draco loosened his tie a bit more and slowly got up, taking a step towards her. Hermione visibly tensed but didn't move, her eyes making sure to stay on him and his hand at all times, not wanting to give him a chance to hex her or whatever the bloody hell he wanted to do.

"Relax, Granger, we're just going to chat."

"Chat?" Hermione echoed with a snort, wondering why she had to get up to chat. Wasn't that what they had been doing?

Taking another step towards her so that his front was facing her side she saw Draco nod from the corner of her eyes, not moving an inch. She dropped her hands from her hips, too nervous to stay in that position.

"Yes, _chat_. You claim you're not a prude and I think you are. So, we're going to test it. Don't get your hopes up–I won't touch you," he added after a moment, which made Hermione roll her eyes but say nothing, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"Now, close your eyes and listen to me," he murmured, clasping his hands together.

Taking in a deep breath, Hermione did as he told her for some reason, exhaling slowly to calm her nerves. She knew he was an arse but she also knew he wouldn't try to hurt her, which was why she was playing along anyway. And partly because she was interested in his ways.

"Good girl," He whispered in her ear and Hermione jumped in surprise, not expecting him to be so close to her. She was suddenly assaulted by his smell and proximity, a small shudder of breath escaping her lips. She could feel a pleasant sort of scent in her nostrils – it reminded her of apples and something manly, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was nice nonetheless.

She felt him move from her side behind her, and the moment she felt him press against her from behind Hermione tensed up, a small gasp filling up the space around them. He wasn't touching her inappropriately, not at all, but it felt intimate in a way, and her whole body buzzed with strange energy from him being so close.

Draco lifted his hand up and pushed her hair from one shoulder to another, leaning towards the exposed ear and bending down slowly to whisper in it.

"Remember, you want to prove to me that you're not a prude, Granger. Do not scream at me when I ask you certain questions then, deal?" he breathed, and she was pretty sure she had missed half of his sentence.

"Deal," she said right away, her eyes focusing on the plant in the corner of her office. This felt surreal but she also liked it?

"Mmm, good. So, tell me, do you masturbate?"

Hermione's eyes widened in shock but she was prepared to stop her body from reacting and turning around to slap him, her need to prove him wrong stronger than any need to inflict pain on him. That rarely happened.

"I—" she started, trying to control her breathing, her pulse speeding up. She could already feel her cheeks flushing and it proved his point, so avoiding the answer was a bad move!

"Sometimes," she finally answered making him hum in approval.

"What do you think about while you do it?" He asked after a few moments, and Hermione narrowed her eyes, a small snort breaking itself free from her mouth. As if.

"I'm not going to tell you about my bloody fantasies, that's private!"

"And telling me you masturbate isn't?" He asked with a chuckle in his voice and why was he so close to her again? She didn't like it at all, didn't appreciate the fact that she didn't _dislike_ his voice in her ear even.

"But… It's different and—"

"Fine. I will. Do you think about being licked, Granger? About your cunt being licked and sucked on slowly, played with?" Draco murmured, only his front coming in contact with her back.

Hermione bit her lip at his words and her eyes fluttered closed, warmth spreading all over her body. Merlin, what was happening? He should not be saying all this to her, it wasn't right. Right? And yet there she was, nodding away at his question, unable to even open her mouth in fear of what could come out.

"Do you think about being finger fucked roughly, your nipples sucked on? About your hair being pulled and body treated like it was nothing but a toy to be played with?" He continued, licking his lips and feeling his cock twitching slightly. He moved away from her a bit, not willing to let anything happen, but it was as if she was pulling him back, his lips going from her ear to her neck, grazing it once and relishing in the shudder that went through her body.

"I… I do, but—"

"Shhh, just listen," Draco said, taking in a deep breath to stop himself from doing something he would probably regret. He had no idea what happened and how they came to where they were but he wanted to push her desperately, to see how far she would be without breaking and there was nothing that brought more pleasure to him that seeing none other than Hermione Granger break in front of _him_.

"Do you think about being fucked wildly, taken in every position possible? Your hair being pulled, a voice whispering in your ear what a good little slut you are—"

A whimper escaped her lips and Draco swore inwardly, his cock hardening at the sound. Fuck, he wanted to make her do it again, his lips now travelling across her jaw and down her neck, feeling how hot she was.

"Well?"

"Yes," Hermione murmured breathlessly and is sounded like a moan to her ears, her thighs suddenly rubbing off the tension between her legs. Merlin, she was _hot_ down there and she needed to touch it away but no, not like this, not with him! It was only because of his words, nothing more she told herself, aware of how loudly she was breathing and how it seemed to match his own. He was affected by this as well.

"Would you like to be bent over and fucked raw, Granger? Treated like nothing but a little fuck toy, always ready to be played with? Would you want to be shown your place, you filthy little Mudblood?" He growled and her reaction was spot on. Instead of slapping him like he had been expecting Hermione moaned loudly at his words, her teeth sinking into her lower lip and her body pressing into his, her arse rubbing against his cock.

"Mmmm, look how badly you want to be treated like a slut, Granger," Draco growled and his hand slowly went into her hair, grabbing it and jerking her head back, his cock painfully hard.

"Malfoy, don't—" Hermione muttered somehow, unconsciously rubbing herself against him. She was very much aware of the ring on her finger but it was as if she couldn't feel its weight anymore, as if it had disappeared for the time being and she was all alone with Malfoy, his scent, his voice and the scenes in her head.

"Do you want me to fuck you, Granger?" He suddenly blurted out, his free hand going around her waist and slamming her body against his hard as his lips started kissing her neck, sucking, biting, nibbling on the skin.

An alarm sounded in her head the moment he asked that question, her mouth closing on the desperate 'Yes' that was about to leave them. And then they wouldn't go back and wouldn't be able to right any wrong anymore. Hermione gasped and pushed herself off him as if burnt, turning around to stare at him in shock.

His expression was just like hers, if not a bit smug, but they said nothing as they started at each other, their breathing ragged and both of them obviously on edge and flustered. Her eyes slid down and she noticed the tent in his trousers, her body reacting to it and desperately wanting to feel his proximity again.

"I need to go," Draco suddenly said, his jaw clenched and his whole body tense. He planned to turn this into a game and get this reaction from her, oblivious to the fact that he'd be experiencing the same thing. And now he needed to run.

Hermione couldn't even say anything, her eyes locked onto him as he hastily grabbed his coat and gloves, taking a few steps towards the door.

He left in a hurry and his scent still lingered in the space around her even after the door slammed shut, reminding her of what had happened between them. Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief and her body sagged down, her expression as shocked as it could get. Her hand absently played with her wedding ring as she tried to find some sense in the events of the night, her gut telling her that whatever this was it meant a change. Whatever it was it meant the beginning. And she had no idea the price she would have to pay for being curious about the end.


	8. The Deal

**A/N: I know I suck and I don't even deserve reviews, but I literally had no idea what to write! I kept changing things and now I'm here and I'm not really that pleased with the chapter, but at least you got something? No? Don't kill me.**

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><p>"Hermione?"<p>

The word sounded shocked and angry, followed with a growl she had heard only once before in her life and never again. She pushed Draco off her as if the action would somehow delete what had happened before Harry walked in on them, the air in the room suddenly gone, leaving the space, Hermione's lungs desperate for some sort of recognition that she was still alive.

"What is going on here? You—Malfoy? You… Hermione…?" Her name was a small whimper, so small she was sure he was looking for a confirmation that this wasn't as it appeared to be, that what he was seeing wasn't her cheating on Ron with Draco right in her office, so carefree as if she didn't care about what her actions might bring.

What she was experiencing on her own was nothing in comparison to what she supposed he was going through. Shock, disbelief, anger, it was all evident on his face and while she was used to seeing that sort of look from him limited only to Malfoy, this time it was all on her. Because, really, was Malfoy to be blamed here? He owed nothing to both Ron and Harry, but she… She did. And she let them down.

"Harry, listen, please—" She said quickly, jumping off the table and flushing in shame at her disheveled state. She smoothed her skirt down and her lip trembled in fear of what was going to happen, Draco completely forgotten.

"Listen? _Listen_? Why should—you were kissing Malfoy! Fucking _Malfoy_, Hermione!"

"Yes, we've already established that, Potter," Draco snapped irritably, not at all unaffected by the situation.

"SHUT UP! JUST—SHUT UP!" Harry yelled, making Hermione flinch and take a cautions step back.

She looked from Draco's narrowed eyes to Harry's angry face, his body sagging slightly as he took a step back.

"Harry—"

"How long, Hermione?"

"Harry, please, I—"

"HOW LONG? YOU'RE CHEATING ON RON WITH HIM, YOU LIED TO _EVERYONE_!" He continued on and Hermione growled and took a defensive stance, her chest raising and falling in anger.

"YES, I DID! BECAUSE I'M UNHAPPY! I DON'T WANT TO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO RON, I DON'T WANT _HIM_ TO BE AN OBLIGATION - I NEED A HUSBAND. NOT A _CHORE_!" She screamed, her lungs burning from the power she was conveying in the words.

Harry was taken by surprise and he shook his head in disgust, watching her as if he was seeing her true self just then.

Hermione realized that she had snapped and her eyes slid from the forest green to icy pale, noticing the surprise in them. He always reacted in such a way whenever she showed a sign of taking them seriously, whenever she expressed just how miserable she was in her life with Ron. It was a mixture of understanding, pity, guilt and annoyance – annoyance that she dared to be so public about how she felt, something which he was never able to be. His stance was tense and he didn't move an inch, making Hermione feel as though she was alone in the room with Harry rather than with someone else's presence there.

"A chore? I asked you if you were happy, I asked how you felt and you lied to me!"

"You do know not everything is about you, Potter, do you?" Draco spat, turning his eyes from Hermione to Harry.

"Malfoy, I'm warning you, I'll—"

"You'll what? Scream at me until you get an aneurysm? I don't give a fuck, to be honest, just shut up. _Shut up_. This isn't about you or that twat Weasley, this—"

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT!"

"Draco! Harry, calm do—"

"THIS IS ABOUT GRANGER!" Draco yelled, his booming voice echoing around the room, loud enough to snap Hermione out of her shocked daze and to make Harry focus on him.

Every since they started the affair she had never seen Draco so angry. Annoyed? Yes, especially when they'd start their little bickering. But angry no.

"Oh, so, you're all-knowing now, apparently? You know what Hermione needs?"

"I know better than you, that's a fucking fact! You don't care that she's miserable, unhappy, stuck in the marriage which is now just a habit when it isn't supposed to be that, you don't care or know what it's like to think you'll spend the rest of your life with someone you just settled on, how would YOU know?"

He was out of breath when he finished the rant, his blond hair covering into his eyes long enough for him to push it back with his hand and take the previous stance. Hermione started at him with her eyebrows furrowed, curious as to whether he was talking about her only.

"I don't expect them to be together if they're unhappy, but for fuck's sake, cheating! And with you?"

"Yes, actually, with me," Draco said calmly, as if they were discussing the weather.

"Hermione…"

"Who do you think you fucking are? Being her best friend doesn't give you the right to tell her what she should do with her life. She's a mature woman, she's capable and smart and she doesn't deserve to be pulled down to the ground by that moron—"

"Oh, and it's you she deserves?" Harry asked with a sort of a maniacal laughter, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Not really, it's me she _wants_," Draco said, taking a step closer to her.

Hermione's eyes widened and her heart seemed to jump up and get stuck in her throat, the severity of the situation finally dawning on her. He knew, he was aware of everything. Every touch, kiss, longing look in his direction, everything she wasn't supposed to do but did anyways didn't go unnoticed. As much as she knew she loved him, he knew it too and the thought excited and frightened her at the same time.

"Wha—no, fuck this. I can't."

"Harry, please!" Hermione cried out and took a step towards him, pausing when Draco's hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm, holding her.

Harry left the office and slammed the door behind him, leaving her staring longingly at the door. She let out a small sob or she wasn't even sure that was her at that point, gasping when a pair of strong arms turned her around and pressed her closer, hugging her tightly. She lifted her pale hands and grabbed the front of his jacket, burying her head in his chest and letting herself go. She was crying for herself, for Ron, Harry, Draco for everyone whose life would change from now own and after a while she recognized nothing but the guilt and Draco's scent around her.

She sniffed a few times and wiped her face as best as she could, looking up at Draco thought her wet lashes. His jaw was clenched and he seemed to be deep in thought, eyes sliding down after sensing she was ready to talk.

"He hates me," she whispered and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.

"Big deal, he's hated me since I was 11."

"I don't think that's the same thing, Draco."

"No, I suppose it isn't."

She bit her lower lip and looked into his eyes, lifting herself on her tippy-toes. Her hand moved over and she left her finger graze his lips, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Draco…"

"No. Granger, don't."

She blinked a few times and nodded, not moving from her position. He was so close and _comforting_, something which she had been craving for months since this started. There was something unmistakably human about him now, something which made her feel that whatever they had wasn't a mistake. But it was only a part of him which would show up randomly, or at least when she least expected it. It was the side of him which he constantly hid from her as if afraid of getting burned, of having something significant in his life.

"I wish this didn't happen the way it did, Granger," he whispered and shook his head, his hand going up to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes at the touch and exhaled slowly, trying to calm her racing heart and visibly failing. It took all of her willpower not to kiss him and tell him those three words he was dreading to hear, but she knew she had to. He wasn't ready yet. Or maybe he just didn't feel the same.

"I don't deserve you, Potter's right—"

"Draco—"

"You know I don't. But I want you. I'm selfish and persistent and I hate when I see you with him, it makes me see red. I recoil from Astoria's touch because it's not you, I flinch at her shrill voice because it's not yours, I'm so used to your taste and smell and being that everything else besides you is not good enough. And it wasn't supposed to happen like that. Fuck, it went too far and I didn't stop it when I could have because it felt good to think I had control over you. I didn't even realize when it started slipping out of my hands—" he shook his head and dropped his hands, taking a step back.

She started at him in wonder and shock, finally hearing what she had wanted to hear all along. That he cared, that he missed her when she was gone, thought about her, felt as hopeless and lonely as she did when they weren't next to each other. And Merlin, she could stand it all – stand his annoying habits, his arrogance and cruel remarks, his need to always be right and inappropriate when she didn't need it, she'd stand it all for him. Because she accepted him with all his faults and insecurities and he accepted her.

"Do you regret it?" She asked quietly, nibbling on her lower lip nervously.

"Regret? You're the best fucking thing that's ever happened to me, Granger! How do you not get that? I was lost without you, I still am because I don't have you, you're—you're not even Granger, for fuck's sake. You're Weasley!"

"I'm Granger," she said quietly after a moment or two, staring down at the floor. "You know I am."

Draco's eyes slid to hers and he caught the scared brown orbs, which were tentatively looking into his, as if asking them whether what had just happened between the two people was going to change things. He growled and turned around hastily, walking towards her and grabbing her in two long strides. Suddenly, his mouth was on her and he almost lifted her off the ground, kissing her deeply and pressing her as closer as possible. Hermione closed her eyes and grabbed his hair, returning the kiss with as much enthusiasm as possible, the feel of his tongue sending shivers all over her body.

She suddenly felt the pace of the kiss change – it was slower, more sensitive and somehow affectionate and their lips moved against each other as if they were exploring a new territory, his sharp breaths mixing with her own. It seemed to last forever, the small touches, nipping and sucking. His hand would gently graze her cheek and he would bite on her lower lip hard enough to make her forget about the world around them. She'd hold onto his hair the way he loved and slide her nails down his scalp, making his body react to her touches, making him crave her more. They were perfectly synchronized, like always, but now it felt different.

"Gr—" He paused and closed his eyes as his lips slid down to touch hers, his head shaking slightly.

"Hermione. You need to talk to them."

Hermione's eyes snapped open and she furrowed her eyebrows, not liking his expression. It seemed pained and almost desperate for something and she nodded slightly, coming back to the present and allowing herself to finally breathe if only for a bit.

"I know. Harry first."

"Potter won't tell him anything, I'm sure," he commented and licked his lips, still holding onto her.

It was a rare thing that he clung onto her so much whereas she felt like she had to get out and leave, finding the situation too complicated to allow him to drag her back to him again. She needed a clear head, she needed to explain things to Harry and then tell Ron and she had to tell herself this was the right time for it, that there was no other way Ron should find out about it. She had to say that because anything else made her feel horrible and guilty.

"I… I don't know how he'll take it. I don't know whether I'll tell Ron right then and there or sometime later… But I need to stay away from you until I come clean."

Draco tensed and clenched his jaw, taking a smaller step back. It was like an automatic reaction, something which stopped him from getting too involved and allowed him to be rational about what she was asking from him.

"It may be hours, days, I don't know. But until I come clean and he listens to me, until I make him see that our marriage isn't what it used to be I can't look for you, Draco. You… You understand, right?"

"I do," was his response, sharp, crisp and quick.

"Draco—"

"No, I do, Granger. I may not like it, but I understand. I don't know what I'll do. I'm not like you, I don't give a shit whether I'm noble or not. I won't tell Astoria anything."

Hermione's eyes widened and she blinked a few times, shaking her head in disbelief.

"But—"

"I refuse. I'll let you take time to sort it out, but I won't do anything until I'm absolutely sure I have you, Granger. Call me whatever you want, but this is my decision. In the end, I'll always choose you. And if I can't have you for some reason, I'll choose what I'm left with."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if he wasn't sure whether he was supposed to say that and just leave and Hermione could only nod in response.

In all honesty, she didn't blame him. He was willing to leave it all behind for her, but he wasn't willing to get out of it right now and be on his own. No matter how unhappy the marriage with Astoria made him, he knew that being alone would do no good to his misery. At least he had the comfort of something familiar then and he was ready to put it on hold while she took her time. He was too cautions.

"And Granger?"

Hermione turned around at the sound of his voice near the door, making her furrow her eyebrows in question.

"Yes?"

"Do try to hurry up with it, I'm an impatient man," he said with a raised eyebrow, making her narrow her eyes.

"You're also incredibly insensitive."

"True."

"I'll see you soon, Draco."

"I hope so. I'll be waiting. "

Hermione smiled as he closed the door behind him, leaving her alone with numerous thoughts and questions. While she knew the path she was about to take would be nothing but difficult, she also knew what was waiting for her in the end. It was a promise of a better life with someone who knew how to make her happy, someone who, despite their differences, understood what she needed and wanted out of life. It was Draco. And she was ready for him.


	9. The Confession

A/N: I don't think there's anything I can say that would excuse me not updating for so long. I've tried several times and I'd always come up with literally _nothing_. I never thought of quitting this, no matter how inconsistent of a writer I am, but it was so hard to come up with something good without my conscience screaming: "IT IS OOC, IT WOULD NEVER WORK!" Anyway, to those of you who are still sticking around – thank you so much for being faithful readers. I hope this makes up the 5 months or so of no update (I cringed at the number, Jesus). So, yes, I really hope you enjoy it because I won't have too many chapters before the fic ends! Reviews are always welcomed and lovely.

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><p>Long, elegant fingers continuously drummed against the mahogany surface of the desk, grey eyes narrowed into two slits. It was rare for Draco Malfoy to be impatient, especially since he was so used to getting whatever he wanted at the right and precise time, but Hermione Granger wasn't as cooperative as he had hoped her to be, it seemed. It'd been a week since he'd last heard from her. One whole week without even managing to sneak a glance in her direction, no matter how many times he had used used his work as an excuse to walk by her office. If he didn't know her as well as he did, he'd have doubted she even came to work at all. She was avoiding him, that had to be it. Granger was avoiding him, and he didn't like it at all.<p>

Naturally, he told her he would be patient and wait. Naturally, that was a lie. He despised the time away from her, despised not being able to shove her against the wall and fuck her into oblivion, because he was as lost in her as she was in him. And it took a lot for him to acknowledge it.

Draco sighed in annoyance and looked down at the papers in front of him, knowing he had some work to finish up before going to bed. If nothing, this helped in distracting him for a moment. Maybe tomorrow she would come. Maybe tomorrow it would all be over.

A soft knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts and he let out a small hiss at the interruption, guessing who it might be.

"Yes?"

His tone was sharp and fast, cutting the air with its force.

Astoria walked in wearing nothing but a long, silky robe, her blonde hair – usually straight and cascading down her back – pulled into a messy bun. It irritated him, how it was so perfect even then. No frizz, no annoying curls that could choke him whenever he'd accidentally fall asleep next to her, no… personality. So bland. Empty.

"Draco, are you coming to bed?" Astoria asked with a raised eyebrow, the tone very much accusatory.

"I'm working, I'll be there when I'm done," he drawled and looked down at the papers, quickly signing his name below the large embedded 'M' on the contract.

"You're always working," she hissed, walking further into the room and stopping in front of his desk.

"And you're spending the money, so what exactly is the problem here?"

"Stop that! You—stop acting like you—like—"

"Astoria, stop fucking stuttering, I don't have time for this."

"You don't have time for anything!" she cried out, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction.

Draco took a deep breath and slowly rose from his seat, putting his palms flat against the cold surface. He was sick and tired of having this argument every bloody day; sick of her inane questions, her shallow personality, her need to study every single thing he did. What the fuck had gotten into him when he'd decided to marry her? It was a mistake.

"I have time for things that actually matter to me."

He knew it was harsh, knew he had crossed the line when she took a sharp intake of breath and a step backwards, her cold eyes widened in surprise. He could feel the weight of his wedding ring suddenly, scorching his finger, begging to be freed, and Draco clenched his jaw and pushed himself up until he was standing right opposite of her, his face void of all emotions. It always seemed to end like this, their little fights and bickering. Whenever he'd fight Granger, he'd enjoy it; he'd taunt her until he got the needed reaction and then he'd break her until she was under him, begging for more, pleading with him to touch her. It was exhilarating and he wanted to taste it again, if only for a fleeting moment. Every part of his body was missing her presence and the agitation from that only made him more determined to stay away from his wife for the time being.

"You—you bastard! I'm tired of this marriage, this farce! I'm so sick of you—"

"The feeling's mutual."

"—and I know that you wouldn't even blink if I were to leave—"

"How observing you are."

"—but I won't give you the satisfaction!" Astoria ended on a scream, the rage visible on her face as she struggled to breathe properly.

Draco studied her with nothing but a raised eyebrow, his face perfectly calm. He took the wand standing next to his papers and slowly put it in his belt, adjusting his clothing. He had to get out, he needed to see her. Since when was Draco Malfoy understanding of other people's wishes, especially Granger's? That was how they worked—she would tell him to comply and act nicely and he wouldn't. He never did. He wasn't about to start now.

"Where are you going?" Astoria squeaked, taken aback when Draco rounded the table and walked towards the Apparition point set up in his study. He said nothing and only looked at her with a cold expression on his face, his lips turning into a sneer.

"_Away_. Anywhere is better than having to stay here and listen to you bitch."

"Draco, I—" her tone was much softer now and she walked up to him and bit her lip, visibly changing her attitude. This was exactly what he hated about her. Whenever she'd sense him slipping away she'd act like nothing had happened, like they didn't have a problem that needed solving, only so she could keep up her appearance and good image. Wrong. She was wrong.

"I'll be back once you're calmer and less annoying."

With his thoughts finally out in the open, Draco was gone, relieved that he didn't have to stay in her suffocating presence even for one more moment. He was going to visit Granger and he didn't care if he ran into Weasley himself. This torture would end tonight.

* * *

><p>"Alright, spill."<p>

Hermione looked up from the untouched meal, her widened eyes panicked and dark. She wasn't really paying attention to what Ron was saying and she didn't particularly care, her thoughts occupied with someone else.

"Sorry?"

"'Mione, I know that look on you. Something's bothering you, tell me what's wrong," Ron muttered and stuffed half of the sausage in his mouth, chewing rather loudly.

Hermione bristled but didn't say much, taking a deep breath to relax. She hated how every little thing he did seemed to annoy her now. How he chewed his food, how he couldn't keep his mouth shut and went on and on about the things she didn't care about. It got so serious that even the smallest of things bothered her – how he slept, how he washed his teeth loudly–everything. It'd been a week since she'd last spoken to Harry and she hated the detachment between them. Luckily, Ron was busy enough not to have time to organize a get-together, but she was sure it wouldn't last long. She had talked to Ginny a few days ago via Floo and noticed that nothing was out of the ordinary, which proved to her that Harry hadn't said anything, but that still didn't make her feel better. She needed to vent and confess, needed to see _him_.

"I'm fine, Ron, really."

"'Mione—"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, glaring at him as if he'd suddenly grown another head and was twice as annoying.

"Bloody fucking hell, fine! No need to get so snippy about it," Ron muttered and shook his head, genuinely surprised by her outburst.

"I'm not being _snippy_, I'm just tired and not in the mood to have this conversation."

"When are you ever in the mood?" he asked, his tone accusatory and his jaw clenched.

She could feel her body tingling, almost as if preparing itself for the onslaught of truth, but she had to keep it all down. Babbling about her affair with Malfoy while they were both angry and already fighting couldn't bring anything good. Not that any other situation would.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Hermione hissed, knowing, in a way, what he wanted to say.

"That means that you're never in the mood to do anything! I asked you to go out, have dinner, do something—"

"Oh, you've clearly tried _everything_ then, haven't you?! Tell me, Ronald, when was the last time you actually asked about my work and how it was going—"

"Not this bloody thing again—"

"YES, YES, THIS BLOODY THING. THAT IS THE PROBLEM!" Hermione cried out and pushed the chair away, getting up from the table and angrily walking into the living room. She was fuming, rage making her body shake and her hands clench into tight fists, ready to strike at any point.

Ever since her fight with Harry, she had done nothing but stress over the inevitable conversation with Ron. She hated not having anyone to talk to – why, on Earth, did she tell Draco she needed some space between them? Was it to lessen her guilt? It was ridiculous really, because he was the only one she could confide in. Harry was avoiding her and Ron as well, Ginny knew nothing about this, and Ron… he was as clueless as ever.

"You're insane, you know that! It's like you—who _are_ you?" Ron suddenly asked, his voice much louder than before, reaching her ears before he appeared in the doorway of the room, staring at her as if she was some case for observation. It drove her up the wall.

"I don't know! I have no idea who I am, because I'm so miserable and lost in this bloody marriage!" Hermione yelled, making herself flinch at the harshness of the words.

It only seemed to make Ron's attitude worse, getting him into the state of denial automatically.

"Oh, so you're _unhappy_? You could have said something, you know! You could have—"

"ARE YOU THAT _BLIND_, RON?" Hermione screamed, the echo of it ricocheting against the walls long after it'd come out.

"Or do you just not want to see clearly? We're falling apart, this isn't working! How can you stand there and act like it's only me, when you know it's both of us! We're unhappy! We're not what we used to be, it's all different and I—I thought it was temporary, but we both see it's not!"

Ron narrowed his eyes, his chest heaving as he struggled to say something. She could see her words sinking in and despite hating the fact that she had to be so blunt, another part of her was pleased that she was getting it all out of her system. Finally.

"I have no idea what's gotten into you, but I will not discuss this now when you're obviously upset about something else—"

"For Merlin's sake, Ronald! Wake up! How can you say that, how can you—you're pretending not to see what's right under your nose! Why won't you just understand? You think just because you remembered to ask me out to dinner this week somehow makes up for all the wrongs in our relationship! You don't try, I don't try. It's not working!" Hermione exploded again, trying hard to catch her breath. She could feel the tightening in her stomach and throat as tears began to well up, but she pushed it away for now.

"No, I don't see anything, because nothing is there! We're fine, we're—this is just a phase—" he muttered hesitantly, and even Hermione could see that he was struggling to explain himself and make sense of their situation. He had nothing else to say, it seemed, so he just helplessly stared at her, the look of pity attached to his face.

_You'll get through this, you'll be fine_, it said, and Hermione shook her head, not ready for the final confrontation. Not until he stopped deluding himself.

He stared at her for what seemed like ages, his demeanor changing from angry to confused as time went by. The shake of her head seemed to make him realize she didn't want to drop it, so he nodded slowly, his face now more relaxed than before.

"Fine. Be that way. But I'm telling you, Hermione, I won't accept this bullshit. I'm going out, don't wait for me," he snapped, turning around and walking down the hallway. She was sure the tears would come the moment she saw his back walk out the door, but nothing happened.

"What a moron."

The voice made Hermione's heart flutter and she jumped up and let out a small squeal, the brown irises focusing on the tall dark figure standing between the living room and parlor door.

"Draco," Hermione breathed as if in a daze, unsure of whether she was just imagining him due to stress or if he was actually there.

He stared at her for a few moments, an unreadable expression gracing his features. They could do nothing but gaze upon each other, the only noise in the room their breathing and the ticking of the clock. And then, in only a few strides, Draco was right against her and his hands grabbed her wrists, pushing her back against the wall behind her. He slammed his lips down on hers and Hermione couldn't help but moan loudly, every single sense in her body exploding at the touch. He tasted like something forbidden and delightful, something one could easily get addicted to, and her hands grabbed his hair without further hesitation, pressing him closer. He was completely savage as he devoured her, teeth sinking into her skin, tongue licking her lips to open up and find hers, goading her into his mouth and making her heart skip a beat.

Every cell in her body was screaming for oxygen but it was difficult to find some, since neither of them wanted to move. Draco grunted when she bit into his lower lip and pulled on it, his hands grabbing her arse and pressing her hips so hard into his she could almost feel his hard length rubbing up against her. Hermione's eyes flew open in surprise and she whimpered as he rolled his hips into hers, their passion making her skin tingle and the tension of her body increase with each passing moment.

"Draco—" Hermione gasped when he finally dared to break the kiss, his hungry lips moving down to her neck, biting, nibbling, marking her.

She moaned and her hips snapped up to meet his in appreciation, her body desperate for a release. It felt like it'd been so long, both of them feeding off each other, demanding flesh, touch, heat, more.

"Draco…" she whined and threw her head back, her eyes fluttering closed as he hit a very sensitive spot between her neck and her shoulder, making her pussy clench in desperation to feel him inside of her.

"I fucking love when you say my name, Granger," he growled and the sound went straight to her core and brought on more warmth and energy, making it hard for her to stop him. He was groping her arse, pulling her against him as he savagely rubbed his clothed cock up and down her lower body, as desperate for release as she was. One of his hands tore her shirt apart, the buttons flying all over the room as her animalistic growl drowned out their noise.

"Missed this—fuck—so good," he was hissing against her as he grabbed her tits and pressed his chest against them, squeezing her nipples through the thin material of her bra and making Hermione pant as she hungrily pressed herself against him.

"Tell me you're mine, Granger, say it," he suddenly demanded, his free hand shoving itself into her hair and snapping her neck up until she was able to look into his eyes.

He was completely breathless and his cheeks mirrored her own with the dark blush, his hair not as elegant as it had been before he had pinned her against the wall. He looked almost demonic in his state and the desperation for her was obvious enough for Hermione to not want to stop this ever.

"I'm yours," she whispered breathlessly, feeling him shudder against her as his eyes fluttered closed. He clenched his jaw and moved his lips to hers, not kissing her, but staying close enough to taste her breath on his swollen lips. He swallowed loudly and for a moment Hermione could see his Adam's apple bobbing, suddenly feeling a strange urge to kiss it.

"Mine," he confirmed with a growl, opening his eyes to look at her. "End it. End it with him or else I'll rip his fucking face off and—"

"Draco—"

"I want you for myself! I need you, I'm—I'm going crazy. I don't care what anyone says, I don't give a fuck about how much money I'll lose, how much respect I'll lose, end it and—"

"Draco, you have to—"

"No!" He exploded and looked at her intensely, still pressing her body against the cold surface, each intake of his mirroring an exhale of hers. They were completely synced, as if nothing else in the world made sense and fit them more than they fit each other.

"I understand that you want this over, I want it too, but Ron is—"

"I don't care! He's treating you like an idiot, like you're imagining things! I heard what he told you in the end, I was there long enough. Granger, just—"

"I know, but you don't—"

"I love you!" Draco said forcefully, making her breath hitch and her throat close up.

She stared at him with nothing but shock and surprise in her brown eyes, the steel grey insecure after the statement, his orbs frantically moving across her face as if to make sure he hadn't said anything wrong.

"You—what?"

"I love you, I fucking love you. I can't stand this anymore; I want you like I've never wanted anything in my life. I—fuck, how do I explain this without sounding like a pathetic sap, Granger?" He murmured nervously, pulling away slightly to put some distance.

Hermione clenched her fists into his hair to stop him from moving, the sudden fluttering in her stomach much stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. She'd thought about this moment for so long, even wondered if it was possible – and now he'd said it. He loved her, _he loved her_.

"I love you too," she whispered and slowly kissed him, her lips turning into a shaky smile upon them breaking apart.

"Thank you, thank for you—"

"What, returning your feelings even with that awful hair of yours? It took some time, but I got over it," Draco replied with a smirk, pressing into her as if he was seeking her warmth.

She laughed and shook her head, completely oblivious to where they were. And then he kissed her again, harder than he'd ever kissed her before and Hermione forgot about who they were, their differences and pasts, his mark and her title, it was all irrelevant. For now, this was all they had - stolen kisses, forbidden love and snarky remarks, but it was all she needed. That and for someone to finally see her. Draco certainly did.


	10. The Confrontation

A/N: I'm officially the worst human being ever. But I pushed myself to give you guys a closure even though my brain had trouble wrapping this all up. I'm so sorry that you waited for so long and I hope this chapter is good enough and that the wait was worth it. This is my first finished fanfic and I would love to write more when inspiration strikes, but I won't make any promises. I want to thank my friend Amanda for proof reading this, Bex-chan who constantly bothered me to finish the fic and all of my followers on tumblr who kept messaging me and telling me how much they loved my fic. You guys all rock! I also want to thank my readers and people who take time to review the story. Your reviews mean a lot to me and I couldn't just leave you hanging. THANK YOU for reading my story and love you all. :3

* * *

><p>His touch and kiss had completely overwhelmed her. As Hermione lay in bed after Draco had left, all she could do was think about what his confession meant. For his family and hers, for their friends and business associates. For their future. She knew there was no point in overanalyzing anything yet. Ron was still in the dark and Harry had been avoiding her calls. She decided that giving him time to accept what he had seen was the best course of action. She felt an incredible amount of guilt for lying, but she also didn't want to apologize for her choices. Yes, her life was chaos; nothing but one awful decision after another, but it had been that long before Draco had come into the picture. Draco, she noted with a smile, was an entirely different kind of chaos that she enjoyed quite a lot. He was the only unruffled chaos she needed.<p>

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, reminding Hermione of the unfinished business she had to draw to a close. It was strange, but living with someone for so long made you recognize even the smallest noise they would make. She knew Ron's walk when he was tired or angry, even a little tipsy. She knew how to read his body language and recognize when he needed to be alone, and when he needed her to be there for him despite claiming otherwise. But those little perks were not enough anymore. Somewhere along the way, she and Ron had managed to disconnect from one another, yet still pretend the spark was there to keep them united. It was all a lie.

"I know."

Those two words were enough to make Hermione's stomach twist uncomfortably. They were enough to make her swallow past the hard lump in her throat and blink away the oncoming tears filled with regret and apologies. This was what she was preparing herself for. This confrontation was inevitable.

"How?"

She didn't want to deny it. After everything that had happened, she owed him that much.

"Harry."

His voice was gruff and broken and she bit her lip to stop herself from crying.

"Ron… I'm so sorry."

The footsteps along with his heavy breathing suddenly broke the silence of the room and Hermione got up and slowly pushed the covers off her, turning around to look at him. His body looked rigid and robotic, almost as if he had trouble moving his limbs. He walked towards the bed and sat at the foot of it, not uttering a word for what seemed like hours.

"Ron—"

"Why _him_?"

Hermione crossed her arms and looked down at them, the ring on her finger staring accusingly at her. The shine it once had was completely lost, and all that was left was a piece of metal, a dead symbol of what they used to be. He understood it well. She could see it.

"I didn't choose it. I didn't plan on it. It just… happened."

"It just happened?" Ron repeated quietly, and she knew he was furrowing his eyebrows in confusion despite not being able to look into his face.

She walked towards him and stopped the moment she could see his face, fighting off the urge to touch him. It was obvious that he was crying. How Harry told him and where they were was unknown to her, but she didn't expect it to happen any other way. Harry was his best friend and he couldn't lie to him. She was his wife and, for Draco, she easily could.

"I don't expect you to understand. I don't either. It happened when I was least expecting it. When I was at my most vulnerable. I thought it would be a one-time thing, but it's much more than that and—"

"You love him."

Her heart sank at the fact that it wasn't a question.

"Ron… please…" she could hear her voice cracking even if she didn't feel it, the sudden onset of tears making the space around them blur and darken. She wanted to reach out and hug him, apologize for lying and cheating, but she knew nothing could console him now. She made a mistake and she had to own up to it.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I loved you, I still do. I always will… just… not the way I used to."

For the first time that night, Ron lifted his eyes to look at her. There was a struggle in his features, as if he wasn't sure whether to break down or break something. It seemed as if the anger he felt over this was long gone, leaving nothing but a broken man with memories and a speck of disbelief.

"We both made mistakes, Mione. I won't pretend I was perfect. I won't pretend this is all on you. It's not."

Hermione wiped her tears off and sniffed loudly, her throat burning as she fought off the urge to break down and sob. She hated herself for what she did to him, but she also hated that he was right. It wasn't only her fault. She felt this marriage break apart the same moment he did. Her fault was that she decided to act on it with none other than Malfoy himself.

"I shouldn't have done this. You'll never forgive me, Harry will—"

"Harry is mad, yes, but he'll forgive you. He loves you. And so do I."

A small sob left her lips, her cheeks wet with tears she wasn't even aware of. She fell to her knees in front of him and buried her face in her hands, her small form shaking and shuddering as she sobbed. She had to get it out of her system, every guilt, regret, lie, every "I love you" she faked, everything that was a burden and that had been crushing her under its weight. She had to.

Soon she was aware of arms around her and the familiar hug made her sob even more, her hands desperately clutching at his shirt, his scent inviting and familiar. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she kept repeating into his neck, the words inaudible and indistinguishable. He held her like that for what seemed like years, never saying a word. She knew what that meant. He couldn't say it was okay, because it wasn't. And once this was done and she had time to think it through, he would break down on his own and say "I'm sorry" back, though for now she was his priority. And she knew she always would be.

* * *

><p>In the following days, Hermione was on her own. Both she and Ron reached an agreement and decided to divorce. It wasn't as easy as she thought it would be, but it had to be done. Though their conversation went differently than she expected it, there was still a lot she had to do. She packed her things and left their home, deciding to stay at her parents' apartment in London. She wanted nothing more but to call Draco and see him again, but the move itself drained her of all the energy she had and what Hermione needed desperately was time.<p>

Time to think things through and be on her own. To get used to sleeping alone at night and making her own coffee. It was as if she was learning to walk again. She felt all alone and yet somehow proud at the steps she was taking, her days filled with unpacking and organizing, her mind desperate for something to do that didn't include thinking of Draco and what he was going through.

The Floo Network alarm went off and Hermione walked down the hallway and into the living room, stopping dead in her tracks as she confronted Harry. Of course it was him. Only he and Ron knew of this place, yet she secretly hoped it was someone else, too afraid to face the one person she needed support from.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Ron told me you were here. I, uh—"

Hermione nodded and hugged the folded clothes she was holding, wondering if this would turn as ugly as she thought.

"Look, Hermione—"

"Harry, you don't have to explain yourself. I understand why you did it. And I don't blame you."

Harry nodded and looked down, the blush on his cheeks telling Hermione he too felt ashamed of how things ended between them. She sighed and walked towards him, closing the distance until they were only a couple of feet apart. She wanted to reach out and hug him desperately, but she could see he was still struggling to say something. So, she waited.

"I was so angry at you. I felt betrayed and disgusted because I expected more from you. But once everything calmed down, I had time to think. And I realized something, Hermione… I realized I don't have any right to judge you. I don't know what you two were going through and—"

"Harry—"

"No, please. Let me finish."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, observing him carefully as he struggled to voice his thoughts.

"I thought you two had a perfect marriage. You never talked about having problems until recently and when I saw you and Malfoy, I thought it was just a whim on your part. As if you do anything on a whim," he smiled, making her chuckle once.

He walked forward and sat on the couch next to the fireplace, motioning for her to come and join him. She walked over to him carefully and sat down, noticing how the tension between them seemed to disappear with each word uttered.

"I won't pretend to understand why him, but I also know it's none of my business. We all have a history with him which is why I took this so personally, but even I know he's a different person. No matter how hard he tries to act like a git."

Hermione smiled and nodded, fighting back another wave of tears. Though they were happy in this case, she was tired of crying and bringing herself down. She wanted a brand new life and a new opportunity and this was what she was getting. There was no need for pity and tears. That time had passed.

"I love both you and Ron and… and I'll support you both through this. He was so angry when I told him which made me regret it. I barely managed to calm him down but I feel like he knew deep down. He didn't know who it was, but he knew. What I'm trying to say is… I still love you and you'll always be my best friend. I'll support you no matter what, Hermione. Always."

Without missing a beat, Hermione threw herself at him and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck. She squeezed him firmly and whispered her thanks, a large weight lifted off her shoulders. With Harry's support and Ron's understanding, she knew she could face whatever was thrown her way. After all, as capable as she was to be on her own, she knew she wouldn't be here without the two of them. They were her rock, her sanctuary. And, deep down, she knew she was still theirs too.

* * *

><p>"Mate, calm down."<p>

"She hasn't been to work in days, Blaise. I can't find her anywhere. That bloody secretary of hers won't tell me a thing. I even threatened to Crucio her to which she calmly replied she had no time for a curse. Bitch."

Blaise chuckled as he leaned back further, getting more comfortable in Draco's chair. They were both in Draco's office, the blond furiously walking up and down the large space while the dark wizard observed him carefully, his eyes narrowed and analytical.

"You've got it bad, Malfoy. Unbelievable… Granger out of all people."

"Shut up, Blaise."

"You're about to pull your own hair, mate, I don't remember ever seeing you like this."

Draco stopped walking and moved towards the door, leaning against it as he listened carefully.

"I told my assistant to let me know the moment she comes to work. I hear nothing, do you hear something?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow and shook his head slowly, wondering if Malfoy had finally lost it. Ironically enough, it was a Muggleborn that made him finally snap. Not the Dark Lord with an impossible task to fulfill. He wanted to laugh but kept it all in, wondering where his ring was and what happened to Astoria.

"What about your marr—"

"Mr. Malfoy, she's in," a disembodied voice inside Draco's office suddenly proclaimed, making both Blaise and Draco jump.

"Bloody hell, why is this so loud, did you honestly think you'd miss it?" He said, watching as Draco moved frantically around his office, his breathing ragged and his moves frantic. He looked like a lost animal, unsure of what to do next.

"Mate," he started, smirking when Draco paused and looked at him quizzically, "go see her."

He was out of the office in two seconds, his stance completely different now as he walked down the hallway. Though his head was as chaotic as his behavior earlier, he looked entirely calm and collected, his suit impeccably arranged and every strand of hair in its place, as if he hadn't been pulling on it out of sheer desperation only moments ago.

He walked into her office without knocking and closed the door behind him, not moving an inch.

Hermione turned around and dropped the files she was holding, knowing fully well it was him. She could recognize the heavy thud of his boots at any point and it reminded her of the fact that she knew him more than she actually thought, her stomach twisting in both excitement and fear at the scene unfolding.

"You were gone."

They were such simple words yet the emotions were undeniably there. Though he seemed to be completely calm, Hermione noticed an air of confusion and desperation around him. It was as if he was counting the time before she came and they met at last. Or so she hoped.

"Yes. I was."

She grabbed the edge of the desk she was leaning against, her knuckles turning white. It took every ounce of strength she had not to jump on him and kiss him. She hoped he felt the same.

"Fuck, Granger, is that the only thing you have to say?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but found it impossible to do so as he walked over to her in two long strides, his hands grabbing her face and his lips attacking hers. She closed her eyes immediately as he kissed her, pressing her against him, trying to mould them together with the force of his grip. He was relentless as he took control of her mouth, one of his hands grabbing her hair for support while the other held her waist, his fingers leaving bruises due to the force of his grip. Hermione moaned into his mouth and grabbed his hair before he decided he had enough, smiling into their kiss at its familiar texture. It seemed as if he was completely mad, his lips and tongue overwhelming her as he bit her and sucked on her lower lip, demanding more, tasting her until they were both gasping for air. When the kiss broke, she knew it wasn't enough. She could never get tired of his desire for her, never fully quench the thirst she felt for his touch and lips. He was the sweetest drug and she refused to give it up even at the expense of losing herself.

"I missed you so much," he breathed against her lips, their foreheads touching as his hands cupped her face.

She closed her eyes and nodded at him, knowing exactly how he felt. The days she had spent without him were torturous but necessary. This right there was the long awaited prize, one Hermione didn't plan on giving up. Not after everything they'd been through. Not after knowing she loved him with her entire being.

"Draco, he knows. They all do."

"Good. "

"Draco—"

"I don't care. I'm done with Astoria. I need you. I've been thinking about you day and night. I couldn't sleep, I looked everywhere for you. I even burst into Potter's office and he almost cursed my cock off. Hermione—"

She opened her eyes to look at him, noticing the storm of grey in his irises. He was shaking as if every word he had uttered and would utter pained him. She knew this was difficult for him. After all, emotions didn't come as easily for someone who grew up the way he did. And expressing them was a problem on its own. She covered his hands with hers and squeezed once, brushing her lips against his for support.

"Promise you won't do this again. Promise you won't leave."

"I promise."

He clenched his jaw and nodded once, his body visibly relaxing. She wanted him badly, wanted nothing more than to get lost in his touch and body, but she had to control herself. There was a time and place for everything and, despite knowing he would disagree, having sex with him now was not the best decision.

"Where's your ring?" Hermione asked as her fingers absently touched his hands, trying to remember every bump and crease. She wanted to know all of him.

"No marriage, no ring."

Hermione moved away a bit so she could look at his expression clearly, noticing the small smirk. Her heart sped up but she tried not to show it, breath leaving her chest in small puffs of disbelief and excitement. He did it for her. He left Astoria for her because he loved her. And despite the fact that he had told her he would do it, a part of her was always doubtful. But there he was, a living breathing proof of what he had promised her not so long ago, his hands still holding her face as if he never wanted to let go.

"Did you leave him?"

"I—yes. Ron and I are over."

Draco smiled and kissed her once more, his arms sliding down to her waist until he intertwined them completely once more, his touch as passionate and loving as ever. And she smiled into his lips, smiled because she knew this was where she was supposed to be, because everything they had done led to this perfect moment. He continued to kiss her and hold her close, and their naked fingers tangled themselves, the proof of their infidelity that once mocked them now completely gone. It was just the two of them and then the rest of the world somewhere far away, and Hermione gasped as the kiss broke, their breaths mingling until they became one.

"Good," Draco replied, his hand reaching the pocket of his jacket and wrapping itself around a small blue box. "Because you and I are just starting."


End file.
